Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Eric Darnell Tom McGrath
Produced by	Mireille Soria Mark Swift
Written by	Etan Cohen Eric Darnell Tom McGrath
Starring	Ben Stiller Chris Rock David Schwimmer Jada Pinkett Smith Sacha Baron Cohen Cedric the Entertainer Andy Richter Bernie Mac Alec Baldwin Sherri Shepherd will.i.am
Music by	Hans Zimmer will.i.am
Edited by	Mark A. Hester
Production company	DreamWorks Animation Pacific Data Images
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	November 7, 2008 (2008-11-07)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$150 million
Box office	$603.9 million

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a 2008 American computer-animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation. As the sequel to the 2005 film Madagascar, it continues the adventures of Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, and Gloria the hippopotamus. It was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, with a screenplay written by Etan Cohen, Darnell, and McGrath. The voice actors Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter return for the sequel, joined by Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd, Elisa Gabrielli, and will.i.am.

The film begins by showing a small part of Alex's early life, including his capture by hunters, then moves to shortly after the point where Madagascar left off, with the animals deciding to return to New York City. They board an airplane in Madagascar but crash-land in Africa, where each of the central characters meets others of the same species and where Alex is reunited with his parents. Problems arise, and their resolution occupies much of the remainder of the film.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa was released on November 7, 2008 by Paramount Pictures. It grossed $603.9 million on a $150 million budget, making it the sixth highest-grossing film of 2008, and won the 2009 Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie. It was dedicated to Bernie Mac, who died before the film's release. A sequel, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, was released in 2012.