A successfulcomedymovie franchise starring Ben Stiller and Chris Rock has multiple installments climbing a major streaming chart. Although both stars have dabbled in other genres including horror (Rock’sSpiral: From the Book of Saw) and drama (Stiller’sWhile We’re YoungandBrad’s Status), both are primarily known for comedy. Comedian and actor Chris Rock has appeared in a wide variety of movies in the genre, ranging from the hybrid animated adventure movieOsmosis Jonesto the Netflix wedding comedyThe Week Of, co-starring Adam Sandler.
Some of Stiller’s biggest comedy hits includeThere’s Something About Mary,Tropic Thunder,Along Came Polly, andStarsky & Hutch. Additionally,he has launched multiple comedy franchises, includingNight at the Museum,Zoolander, andMeet the Parents, which was followed byMeet the FockersandLittle Fockers. Between Ben Stiller’s output and the wide roster ofChris Rock movies, both have been superstars of the genre for decades.
Multiple Madagascar Movies Have Become Modern Streaming Successes
They Are Dominating A Major Platform’s Chart
After more than a decade out of theaters, multipleMadagascarmoviesare climbing a major streaming chart. The animated franchise began in 2005 with the original movie following a group of zoo animals - including Chris Rock’s adventurous zebra Marty and Ben Stiller’s performing lion Alex - who escape and find themselves stranded on Madagascar. It kicked off a franchise that now includes two sequels and the 2014 spinoff moviePenguins of Madagascar, which havecumulatively grossed $2.27 billion worldwide.
While Ben Stiller and Chris Rock’s voices are both heard inPenguins of Madagascar, their lines are from scenes that were recorded for previous installments.
On theDisney+daily Top 10 chart for November 15 in the United States, twoMadagascarmovies have appeared after the franchise has been out of theaters for a decade. On the chart, which ranks both movies and television shows,the original 2005 movie has landed at No. 2 while the 2008 sequelMadagascar: Escape 2 Africahas appeared at No. 7.
Other than Adam Sandler’sGrown Upsat No. 10, every other title on the chart is either a new release - includingDeadpool & Wolverine(No. 1),High Potential(No. 5),Agatha All Along(No. 6), andWizards Beyond Waverly Place(No. 8) - ora Christmas classic such asHome Alone 2: Lost in New York(No. 3) orThe Santa Clause(No. 4).
What This Means For Madagascar
The Franchise Still Has An Audience
The fact that the animatedcomedymovies have been able to get such a foothold on the Disney+ chart in the face of such strong contemporary and seasonal competition shows thatthey still have wide audience appeal. If the movies continue to dominate the chart, this could spell good news for thepossibleMadagascar 4, which has so far never come to fruition despite rumblings as recent as 2017.
Madagascar
TheMadagascarfranchise is a popular animated comedy series produced by DreamWorks Animation. The story follows a group of zoo animals—Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, and Gloria the hippo—who escape their comfortable life in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves in the wilds of Madagascar. The films are known for their humor, vibrant animation, and lovable characters, blending animal antics with heartfelt friendship themes.
