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First appearing in the 2005 DreamWorks Animation feature film Madagascar, the lovable team of super-spy penguins quickly became popular among fans young and old. They starred in a holiday short, The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper, and appeared in the original film’s sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. The penguins also starred in a spinoff television series that debuted on Nickelodeon in 2008, which tied in to the release of Madagascar 2.

Now, the popular penguin foursome are taking the big screen by storm in their own animated feature film: The Penguins of Madagascar.

The first full-length trailer for The Penguins of Madagascar, released by Moviefone, shows Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski (Chris Miller), Rico (John Dimaggio), and Private (Christopher Knights) meeting another espionage team: the North Wind. Skipper and the leader of North Wind, Agent Classified, don’t get along right away, ...

Click to continue reading ‘The Penguins of Madagascar’ Trailer: The...

It's a shock to go back and watch "Midnight Cowboy" 45 years after its debut (on May 25, 1969) and see how raw and otherworldly it looks. After all, the X-rated Best Picture Oscar-winner has been so thoroughly assimilated into American pop culture that even kiddie entertainments like the Muppets have copied from it.

The tale of the unlikely friendship between naïve Texas gigolo Joe Buck (Jon Voight) and frail Bronx con man Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), "Midnight Cowboy" was initially considered so risqué that it's the only X-rated movie ever to win the Academy's top prize (though after it won, the ratings board reconsidered and gave the film an R). Still, the film featured two lead performances and a few individual scenes that were so iconic that homages (and parodies) have popped up virtually everywhere. (Most often imitated is the scene where Ratso, limping across a busy Manhattan street, is nearly...

According to First Showing and The Hollywood Reporter, the writers of “Megamind”, Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, will bring the penguins from “Madagascar” their own adventure in their own movie. The penguins have become some of the most popular characters from “Madagascar”, having been in a short “The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper” and starring in their own spin-off show, “The Penguins of Madagascar”, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter, came in second in Nickelodeon’s most-watched children’s shows (the show only finished second behind juggernaut “SpongeBob SquarePants”). The Nickelodeon “Penguins” show is now in its second season, showing the popularity of the characters. At this point, now [...]...

DreamWorks has two new projects entering its pipeline: a spin-off film based on the penguins from Madagascar, and project focusing on the last days of the last photolab to develop Kodachrome film. [THR]

The studio bought Jonathan Tropper‘s pitch for the Kodachrome project, to be scripted by Tropper based on an article by the New York Times writer A.G. Sulzberger. Kodachrome color reversal film was manufactured for 74 years in a variety of types including 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, 35mm, and large formats for still photography. It was widely admired for its archive quality and was immortalized by Paul Simon in his famous pop song of the same name. (And if you’re not up on your 70′s pop tunes, the song was featured in a montage sequence in The Coneheads movie.)

The Kodachrome project is being developed by 21 Laps Entertainment, whose co-partner Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy may helm the picture.

No matter how much you love to "move it, move it," you've got to admit: the best part of the Madagascar movies were The Penguins. The military unit has already been spun off into a successful short film, The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper, and a hit TV show on Nickelodeon, "The Penguins of Madagascar," so now it's time for the birds from Antarctica to get their own movie. DreamWorks Animation have hired the writers of Megamind, Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, to write the script.

Source: THR...

Following in the paw-steps of their Dreamworks Animation brother Puss in Boots, the penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico of "Madagascar" will star in their own spin-off feature film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

And the arctic fowls are in high demand.

The Penguins, set to reappear in next year's "Madagascar 3," have become a successful phenomenon all their own. Since the first film, the quartet of militaristic birds have starred in the popular short film "The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper," which was released on the "Madagascar" DVD, and their own Nickelodeon TV show, "The Penguins of Madagascar," which was the second highest rated program on the network last year.

The new penguin-centric movie is in the development stages, with "Megamind" writers Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons taking scripting duties this time around. There's no director or intended release date, so don't expect "Penguins" in the near future,...

"Madagascar" penguins will have their own movie. After they stole the spotlight in the 2005 animated film and had their own TV series, "The Penguins of Madagascar", the four paramilitary penguins reportedly will appear in a spin-off feature based on the DreamWorks Animation series' popular penguins.

The Hollywood Reporter has reported that the untitled film will tell the story about the Antarctican penguins, Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico. "Megamind" screenwriters Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons have been chosen to pen the project. However, no director has been chosen to helm the film, and release date is yet to be set.

Although they are secondary in the "Madagascar" films, the flightless birds have won fans' heart and beaten their character-mates, including the main role Alex the Lion (whose voice cast was Ben Stiller). The avians have also got their own short film, "The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper", as part...

Here is a quick little update regarding some animated films in the making. First up is Monsters, Inc 2, which has now been aptly named Monsters University. Disney revealed this information earlier today at Cinema Con, but that’s all that they announced. Monsters University is the sequel to Pixar’s 2001 hit Monsters, Inc, which has gone through a bit of production hell, if you will. A few weeks ago we posted an animated trailer created by the writers of the “first” sequel, which was eventually scrapped when the production company they were working for fizzled away and some of the employees went to work on Toy Story 3.

We’re still unsure on the plot details or Monsters University, but the rumored storyline would follow the relationship between Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James “Sully” Sullivan (John Goodman) in school at the University of Fear and how the two eventually become best friends.

The penguins of DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar" movies are getting their own feature film. "Megamind" writers Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons have already been hired to pen the script. The story will revolve around the paramilitary penguins named Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico. They have been secondary characters in the "Madagascar" films, but have stolen many scenes. When the first "Madagascar" movie was released on Blu-ray, "The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper" was one of the animated shorts included on the disc. The characters also star in "The Penguins of Madagascar," which is a CGI-animated TV show on Nickelodeon. It ended up being the second most-watched animated program behind "SpongeBob SquarePants" amongst ages 2-11. The show is now in its second season.

They’ve been stealing scenes from the likes of Ben Stiller and Chris Rock ever since they waddled on to the screen in the first Madagascar outing, and now it looks like DreamWorks wants to go even further with the crack penguin commando unit, gearing them up to star in their own spin-off film.Megamind writers Alan J Schoolcraft and Brent Simons have been tasked with bringing Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico to the big screen. It’s not really a surprise, since the feathered foursome have been winning fans and influencing people for ages and got their own short film, The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper, as part of the original movie’s DVD extras.Plus, they’ve been appearing on the small screen for a couple of years now in their own cartoon show, which earns solid ratings across the pond.There’s no word on what...

In case you didn't get enough of the mischievous Antarctic birds in the Madagascar films, THR reports DreamWorks Animation is putting together a feature film just for the penguins. Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, the writers who brought Megamind to life, will script the project following the schemes and exploits of Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico (yes, they have names). The characters have easily been the best parts of the Madagascar films and they've already been given a Christmas special in the form of "The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper" and a show on Nickelodeon aptly titled "The Penguins of Madagascar." At this point no director is attached, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone who's been working on the Madagascar films for years steps up to the plate. For now Schoolcraft and Simon are the only ones set to develop the story and write the script, but...