DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED New Featurette & Clips

Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock, left) is safe in the arms of Vitaly the Tiger (Bryan Cranston, right) in DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, to be released by Paramount Pictures.

In theaters on June 8, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.

The global success of 2005’s “Madagascar” and its lively 2008 sequel “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” proved that while the films were broad comedies with plenty of action, they were, above all, well-told stories with universal themes audiences related to. For the filmmakers, it was never enough to just go for the laughs.

As director/writer Tom McGrath says: “Having an emotional spine to a story is really what carries you through — because if you just string a lot of jokes together, there isn’t much to cling to.”  Director/writer Eric Darnell observes: “As an audience you want to be able to connect with and empathize with the characters’ wants and needs. To be able to plumb those depths is critical.”

The filmmakers’ desire to take the characters to new places — literally and figuratively — continues in “Madagascar 3.” Incorporating Ralph Waldo Emerson’s inspirational quote, “Life is a journey, not a destination” as their maxim, the filmmakers’ chose to explore themes of what it means to be home, having confidence and finding ones passions. As a result, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria have found a better sense of who they are, while grappling with the wilds of Madagascar and Africa. As Darnell puts it, “That’s what has been the core desire of our guys from the beginning: To identify their place in the world.”

To get you ready for MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, check out the latest featurette and clips from DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming film.

Talk about taking the long way home…

In the third installment of the billion-dollar “Madagascar” franchise, Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman (David Schwimmer) are determined to make their way back to The Central Park Zoo in New York City. Leaving Africa behind, they’ve taken a detour and surfaced, quite literally, in Europe — on a hunt for the penguins and chimps who have managed to break the bank of a Monte Carlo casino. Soon the animals are discovered by dogged French animal control officer Capitaine Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand) who does not appreciate zoo animals running wild in her city and is thrilled by the idea of hunting her first lion! The Zoosters find the perfect cover in a down-and-out traveling circus where they hatch a plan to reinvent the circus, discover a few new talents and make it home to New York alive.

For the first time in 3D, the Zoosters of Madagascar are on the run, hiding out with the circus, doing death defying tricks and making new friends.

DreamWorks Animation SKG Presents “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,” a PDI/DreamWorks Production featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer, Andy Richter, Frances McDormand, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston and Martin Short. The film is directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, helmers of the franchise’s the first two installments, which earned more than $1 billion at the boxoffice, and are joined this go-round by director Conrad Vernon (“Shrek 2,” “Monsters vs. Aliens”). The screenplay is written by Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach (“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Greenberg”). It is produced by Mireille Soria (“Madagascar 2”) and Mark Swift (“Madagascar 2”). The music is by Hans Zimmer.

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED has been rated ‘PG’ for some mild action and rude humor by the MPAA.

The Penguins (left to right): Kowalski (Chris Miller), Skipper (Tom McGrath), Private (Christopher Knights) and Rico assess the situation in DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, to be released by Paramount Pictures.

Left to right: Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) and Gia the Jaguar (Jessica Chastain) are fearless trapeze artists in DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, to be released by Paramount Pictures.

Left to right: Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Stefano the Sea Lion (Martin Short) and Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) are ready to perform in DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, to be released by Paramount Pictures.

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED will be in theaters June 8, 2012.

Visit the film’s official site:  http://www.madagascarmovie.com/

“Like” it on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/MadagascarMovie

Follow on Twitter:  @DWAnimation