One of DreamWorks' Biggest Hits Returns to Theaters for a Milestone Anniversary
DreamWorks is sending Madagascar back to theaters for its 20th anniversary, revisiting the 2005 hit from directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath that roared to $556.6 million worldwide—second only to Shrek 2 among the studio’s animated giants.
DreamWorks is putting Madagascar back on the big screen for a victory lap. The studio says the 20th-anniversary rerelease hits US theaters on January 16, 2026. Yes, the movie came out in 2005, so the math is a little fuzzy, but if it gets Alex and the crew back in theaters, I am not complaining.
'Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman are back. Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Madagascar, back in theaters January 16th.'
- DreamWorks Animation on Twitter, December 10, 2025
Why bring this one back?
Madagascar was a monster for DreamWorks in 2005, directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath. It made about $556.6 million worldwide, which still makes it the studio's second-biggest animated movie ever, behind 2004's Shrek 2.
Zooming out, it is also DreamWorks' fifth-highest-grossing movie overall. Sitting above it on that list: Shrek 2 at the top, then Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Transformers (2007), and War of the Worlds (2005). Not a bad neighborhood to live in.
Quick refresher on the story
Alex the lion is basically the star attraction at New York's Central Park Zoo, living the comfy life with his best friends: Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo, and Melman the giraffe. Marty gets curious about what is outside the zoo walls, teams up with some overachieving penguins, and breaks out to go explore. Naturally, that goes sideways fast, and the whole crew ends up very far from their catered-meals situation.
Who is voicing who
- Ben Stiller as Alex
- Chris Rock as Marty
- Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria
- David Schwimmer as Melman
- Sacha Baron Cohen as King Julien XIII
- Cedric the Entertainer as Maurice
- Tom McGrath as Skipper
- Chris Miller as Kowalski
- Jeffrey Katzenberg as Rico (yes, that Jeffrey Katzenberg)
- Christopher Knights as Private
The franchise that kept going
This one spawned a lot. Two direct sequels: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in 2008 and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in 2012 — the third one was co-written by Noah Baumbach, which is a fun credit you do not expect on a circus-zebra caper. Then there was the 2014 spin-off Penguins of Madagascar and multiple TV shows, including The Penguins of Madagascar and All Hail King Julien.
So what is actually coming to theaters?
DreamWorks announced the date and the occasion, and that is about it — no mention of added footage or new bells and whistles. Either way, if you want to hear 'I like to move it' rattling theater speakers again, you have a date: January 16, 2026.