History Trivia / Madagascar

** A fourth film was planned for a 2018 release date, but it was [[http://deadline.com/2015/01/dreamworks-animation-restructuring-to-cut-500-jobs-with-290m-charge-1201355918/ removed from its schedule]] due to the studio's restructuring.

** In ''Escape 2 Africa'', Alec Baldwin was originally going to play a satirical version of himself who was tricking young actors into building a home/resort for him in Africa (claiming he was running an actor's studio). When this was dropped, they wrote the character of Makunga for him so he could still be in the movie.

** In the beginning of the first movie, Alex's face while posing for a camera is the Blue Steel, the signature pose of Derek {{Zoolander}}.

** Marty's "black with white stripes or white with black stripes" conflict is an allusion to Creator/{{Chris Rock}}'s own racially-themed comedy.
** Melman's crush on for Gloria suplot in the second film is remarkably similar to another subplot: TV's ''Series/{{Friends}}'' where Schwimmer's ' character Ross Gellar and his BelligerentSexualTension with Rachel Greene, which would eventually be resolved in the SeriesFinale.

* DoingItForTheArt: One joke in the first movie required a million leaves to be created for it. ''One'' joke.

** One of the most notorious example. The Disney-released ''WesternAnimation/TheWild'' had been in production for a few years already, but as was usually the case with their early films, Creator/DreamWorks caught wind of it and set out to (successfully) beat them to the punch. ''Madagascar'' became a hit and ''WesternAnimation/TheWild'', finally released a year later, was immediately written off as a ripoff by those not in the know and just as quickly fell into obscurity.

** In 1998, Dreamworks had a film idea called "Rockumentary", which featured a [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]]-esque penguin rock band. The idea was scrapped, but after production on ''Madagascar'' started, the directors decided to revive the penguins, but make them a commando unit instead of a rock band.
** Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani and Madonna were originally considered to voice Gloria.
** Melman was originally an [[SeldomSeenSpecies okapi]], but this was dropped in favor of a more familiar animal, the giraffe.

** In 2, Alec Baldwin was originally going to play a satirical version of himself who was tricking young actors into building a home/resort for him in Africa (claiming he was running an actor's studio). When this was dropped, they wrote the character of Makunga for him so he could still be in the movie.

* ShownTheirWork: The flashback to Alex as a cub arriving in New York City has the Twin Towers in the background, making it one of the few movies in recent years to feature them.

** Marty's "black with white stripes or white with black stripes" conflict is an allusion to {{Chris Rock}}'s own racially-themed comedy.
** Melman's crush on for Gloria suplot in the second film is remarkably similar to another subplot: TV's ''{{Friends}}'' where Schwimmer's ' character Ross Gellar and his BelligerentSexualTension with Rachel Greene, which would eventually be resolved in the SeriesFinale.

* ActorAllusion: In the beginning of the first movie, Alex's face while posing for a camera is the Blue Steel, the signature pose of Derek {{Zoolander}}.

* DuelingMovies: One of the most notorious example. The Disney-released ''WesternAnimation/TheWild'' had been in production for a few years already, but as was usually the case with their early films, DreamWorks caught wind of it and set out to (successfully) beat them to the punch. ''Madagascar'' became a hit and ''WesternAnimation/TheWild'', finally released a year later, was immediately written off as a ripoff by those not in the know and just as quickly fell into obscurity.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In 1998, Dreamworks had a film idea called "Rockumentary", which featured a [[Music/TheBeatles Beatles]]-esque penguin rock band. The idea was scrapped, but after production on ''Madagascar'' started, the directors decided to revive the penguins, but make them a commando unit instead of a rock band.

* TheOtherDarrin: In the Korean dub, local celebrity Song Kang-ho was replaced for the second film by Seong Wang-yeong as Alex.

* TheOtherDarrin: In the Korean dub, Song was replaced for the second film by Seong Wang-yeong as Alex.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani and Madonna were originally considered to voice Gloria.

* HeyItsThatVoice:
** King Julien is voiced by ''Film/{{Borat}}'', for starters.
** And then there's [[Film/MeetTheParents Gaylord Focker]], [[{{Film/Dogma}} Rufus the Thirteenth Apostle]], [[Series/{{Friends}} Ross]] and [[Film/TheMatrix Niobe]].
** [[BlackEyedPeas will.i.am]] (showing off surprisingly good acting) is the voice of Moto Moto.
** In the second movie, [[Series/ThirtyRock Jack Donoghy]] as Makunga and [[Series/TheBernieMacShow Bernie Mac]] as Zuba.
** Speaking of [[Film/TheOriginalKingsofComedy the Kings of Comedy]], [[Series/TheSteveHarveyShow Cedric the Entertainer]] voices Maurice.
** Listen closely for [[Series/FullHouse Bob Saget]] in the first movie.
*** Just get any of the video games. RainbowBrite (Bettina Bush) is Gloria; Creator/PhilLaMarr is Marty.
** [[Series/BreakingBad Walter White]] is Vitaly in the third movie.
** Bill Fagerbakke, the voice of Patrick Star from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' voices Ted the polar bear from the Penguins' Christmas Caper.
** In Korean dub of the first movie, Alex is voiced by renowned actor '''Song Kang-ho''' (Doo-man from ''Film/MemoriesofMurder'', Gang-du from ''Film/TheHost'', Tae-goo from ''Film/TheGoodtheBadtheWeird'', etc.) Jeffrey Katzenberg, who had never seen the actor's movies beforehand, had an audio tape of Song's work sent to him and he felt that his voice was perfect for Alex.

** In Korean dub of the first movie, Alex is voiced by renowned actor '''Song Kang-ho''' (Doo-man from ''Film/MemoriesofMurder'', Gang-du from ''Film/TheHost'', Tae-goo from ''Film/TheGoodtheBadtheWeird'', etc.) Jeffrey Katzenberg is a great admirer of Song's work and appeared to have personally chose him for the film.

** In Korean dub of the first movie, Alex is voiced by renowned actor '''Song Kang-ho'''. Jeffrey Katzenberg is a great admirer of Song's work and appeared to have personally chose him for the film.

** In Korean dub of the first movie, Alex is voiced by '''Song Kang-ho'''.

** In Korea, at least in the first movie, Alex is dubbed by '''Song Kang-ho'''.

** In Korea, Alex is dubbed by '''Song Kang-ho'''.

** His "surprise" face to Marty has been interpreted as a not to a scene from the same movie when Derek, covered in coal soot, jumps out of a dark corner to scare his father.

* DuelingMovies: One of the most notorious example. The Disney-released ''WesternAnimation/TheWild'' had been in production for a few years already, but as was usually the case with their early films, DreamWorks caught wind of it and set out to (successfully) beat them to the punch. ''{{Madagascar}}'' became a hit and ''TheWild'', finally released a year later, was immediately written off as a ripoff by those not in the know and just as quickly fell into obscurity.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani and Madonna were originally considered to voice Gloria.

** Speaking of [[TheOriginalKingsofComedy the Kings of Comedy]], [[Series/TheSteveHarveyShow Cedric the Entertainer]] voices Maurice.

* ThrowItIn:
** Originally only an instrumental version of "I Like to Move It" was to be used at the lemurs' party; Cohen then made up his own lyrics to the Reel 2 Reel song. The rest is history.
** Animator Tom [=McGrath=] did what was supposed to be a temporary voice track for Skipper. Robert Stack was originally cast in the role, but after his death, Eric Darnell decided to keep Tom's voice in because he liked it.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani and Madonna were originally considered to voice Gloria.

** Melman's crush on for Gloria suplot in the second film is remarkably similar to Danother subplot David Schwimmer's show TV's ''{{Friends}}'' where Schwimmer's ' character Ross Gellar and his BelligerentSexualTension with Rachel Greene, which would eventually be resolved in the SeriesFinale.

*** Just get any of the video games. RainbowBrite (Bettina Bush) is Gloria; PhilLaMarr is Marty.

* FakeNationality: Various characters, especially in the third movie, are played by Americans putting on accents.

* DuelingMovies: One of the most notorious example. The Disney-released ''WesternAnimation/TheWild'' had been in production for a few years already, but as was usually the case with their early films, DreamWorks caught wind of it and set out to (successfully) beat them to the punch. ''TheWild'' was dead in the womb by the time this film became hugely successful.

** Marty's "black with white stripes or white with black stripes" conflict is an allusion to {{ChrisRock}}'s own racially-themed comedy.

** Marty's "black with white stripes or white with black stripes" conflict is an allusion to Chris Rock's own racially-themed comedy.