Madagascar Adapted for UK Theaters

The DreamWorks popular animated movie ‘Madagascar’ is being adapted for the stage.

The family comedy, based on a book by Kevin Del Aguila, will be opening at Wimbledon New Theater in London on July 16, 2018, before going on a full UK tour, Digital Spy reported.

It is a musical adventure that will see Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime.

The story follows king of the urban jungle, Alex the lion, and his best friends, who have all spent their entire lives in New York’s Central Park Zoo before an admiring public. But not content with living in captivity, Marty lets his curiosity get the better of him and makes his escape – with the help of some prodigious penguins – to explore the world.

Executive creative producer David Hutchinson said: “We aim to engage young people to come to the theater and help encourage a whole new generation of theater-goers”.

‘Madagascar’ is a computer-animated franchise produced by DreamWorks Animation. It began in 2005 and was followed in 2008 by the sequel ‘Escape 2 Africa’ and the third film ‘Europe’s Most Wanted’ was released in 2012.

A spin-off film featuring the penguins titled ‘Penguins of Madagascar’ was released in 2014 and a fourth film, ‘Madagascar 4’, has been announced for 2018.

The series has grossed over $1.8 billion globally, making it the fourth highest-grossing animated franchise (behind ‘Shrek’, ‘Despicable Me’, and ‘Ice Age’) and the second highest-grossing DreamWorks Animation’s franchise.

Presale of the tickets for the theatrical adaption in London will start on Thursday, October 19.