Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Eric Darnell Tom McGrath
Written by	Etan Cohen Eric Darnell Tom McGrath
Produced by	Mireille Soria Mark Swift
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
Edited by	H. Lee Peterson
Music by	Hans Zimmer will.i.am
Production companies	DreamWorks Animation SKG[a][1] PDI/DreamWorks
Distributed by	DreamWorks Animation[1] Paramount Pictures[1]
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[2]

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (also known as Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa) is a 2008 American animated adventure comedy film^[3] produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG^[a] and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to Madagascar (2005) and the second installment in the franchise. It was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and written by Etan Cohen, Darnell, and McGrath. The film features Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Elisa Gabrielli, McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, and Conrad Vernon reprising their voice acting roles from the first film, joined by new cast members Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd, and will.i.am, as well as voice acting veteran John DiMaggio. In the film, the main characters, a party of animals from the Central Park Zoo whose adventures have taken them to Madagascar find themselves in the African savannas, where they meet others of their species and where Alex the lion reunites with his parents.

DreamWorks Animation announced a sequel to Madagascar since 2005, when the first film had been released, with a release date planned for late 2008. It was originally subtitled The Crate Escape, before eventually changed its final title Escape 2 Africa. The film, like its predecessor, features several songs from various artists, with musical score being composed by Hans Zimmer, this time being joined by will.i.am who performed five songs.

Released on November 7, 2008, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa received positive reviews from critics for its characters, humor and animation, with critics considering it an improvement over its predecessor, and grossed $603.9 million on a $150 million budget, making it the sixth highest-grossing film of 2008.^[4] It was dedicated to Bernie Mac, who died on August 9, 2008 before the film's release.^[5] A sequel, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, was released in June 2012.

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