Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a 2008 American animated adventure comedy film directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and written by Etan Cohen, Darnell and McGrath. The second installment in the Madagascar film series, following the 2005 film, it was produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG. 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 reprise their roles from the first film, joined by new cast members Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd, and will.i.am. 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.

The film, like its predecessor, has a score composed by Hans Zimmer. Singer will.i.am contributed five songs to the soundtrack.

Released by Paramount Pictures on November 7, 2008, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its characters, humor and animation, while also considering it an improvement over its predecessor. It grossed $604 million on a $150 million budget, making it the sixth highest-grossing film of 2008. 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.