While Chris Rock may have a drama starring a monster cast coming out on the 2026 movie schedule, it’s not the only movie on his mind. In fact, the actor is hoping one of his earlier roles will make a comeback, and honestly, Rock begging for a Madagascar sequel is the content I didn’t know I needed this week.
The last time we saw Marty and his friends was in the high-energy chaos of Europe’s Most Wanted in 2012. So I never expected Rock to bring up his eccentric franchise, but when the actor sat down with Variety, he had a lot to say about his animated trilogy, specifically about the number of movies. However, I never expected him to call out another, chillier animated franchise when begging for a revival:
You know we did three of them. I pray to God we do one more. In a world where they’re rebooting everything. Let’s do Madagascar. I don’t know who I’m talking to. Do you understand that I got divorced? I don’t have Madagascar money anymore. We only did three. There’s five Ice Ages! Five! Okay, fuck Ray Romano.
I wouldn’t have guessed the Ice Age franchise would factor into Rock’s desire to bring Madagascar back, but he’s not wrong that most everything else continues to live on. So why can’t the eclectic group of zoo animals get another adventure? Technically, there is a fourth movie in the franchise with the spinoff Penguins of Madagascar, which came out in 2014. Maybe with Rock’s insistence, we can finally see where those characters went after Europe. They’ve already been to Madagascar and continental Africa, so maybe they should meet some pirates in the Caribbean next. (Remember, Ice Age had a pirate-themed film.)
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Not only does Rock consider Madagascar to be the “biggest movie [he’s] ever been in,” but a lot of people rank his role as Marty as one of his best performances. There was a brief period of time back in 2018 when a fourth movie seemed likely, but DreamWorks has since pulled the plug. Nothing else has been said about the franchise. Now maybe it’s finally time to bring it back. And I have to agree with Rock when he asks:
Weren’t there like a Toy Story 4 or 5? Why can’t we figure this out?
The film he’s referring to is Toy Story 5, which was released back in June and brought everyone’s favorite toys back for another adventure. The return had many wondering if the franchise will ever end. Plus, we also had a return of Minions, who have now added monsters into the ever-expanding franchise. Even Kung Fu Panda has four films. So why not Madagascar? Admittedly, my biggest question isn’t if a revival is possible. It’s: Will we see everyone return from the original cast?
The first three movies starred Rock, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith as the four main animal friends. You’d have to be living under a rock (no pun intended) to not know what happened between the actor and Pinkett Smith, or what went down with that Will Smith Oscars slap. However, Rock didn’t address any of his castmates when bringing up a fourth movie.
While it’s not Madagascar, the actor does have a project he’s written and directed coming out. The upcoming A24 film, Misty Green, will hit theaters in October after it premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The actor begging for a sequel certainly made my week a little brighter. Maybe after he’s done promoting his new movie, Rock can get started on bringing Madagascar back. Perhaps the potential sequel can include a role for Ray Romano.
