21 Years Later, Ben Stiller’s 55% Rated Comedy Is A Netflix Hit

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Ben Stiller is a hugely popular comedian and actor, but not every movie he’s been in has been a hit. While he’s had some big successes, he’s also starred in films that didn’t quite work out, like The Watch and the sequel Zoolander No. 2. In fact, one movie that critics didn’t love was Madagascar from 2005, where he voiced the character of Alex the lion.

Originally released in theaters in May 2005, around the same time as Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Madagascar received mostly negative reviews. The animated film follows a group of animals from a New York City zoo as they find themselves in the wilds of Madagascar. Currently, it holds a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics finding its humor inconsistent and its story occasionally troubling.

Despite coming out over 20 years ago, the movie Madagascar is now surprisingly popular on Netflix. As of today, Ben Stiller’s 2005 DreamWorks comedy is currently seventh on the platform’s list of the most-watched movies worldwide, according to FlixPatrol.

The movie has become incredibly popular in certain countries, even reaching the number two spot in rankings, all without being available for streaming in the United States.

The 2005 film has surprisingly joined other recent popular movies on Netflix – like Wake Up Dead Man, The Grinch, and The Great Flood – in the Top 10, which is particularly noteworthy given that those other films usually receive more promotion on the platform.

Although critics didn’t love the original Madagascar movie, it was a huge success in theaters, earning $556 million worldwide. This led to two sequels, a spin-off film, and multiple TV shows. Currently, the Madagascar franchise is DreamWorks’ third most profitable movie series of all time, trailing only Shrek (with a fifth film planned for 2027) and Kung Fu Panda.

Does Madagascar Have A Future on the Big Screen?

It’s been over a decade since a new movie in the Madagascar series appeared in theaters. The last film released was the Penguins of Madagascar spin-off back in 2014, though the original series received mixed reviews from critics.

Despite the films being unavailable for a time, the Madagascar franchise has consistently been available on streaming services. From 2014 to 2017, Netflix featured All Hail King Julien, a show focusing on Sacha Baron Cohen’s lemur character. More recently, Peacock streamed the animated series Madagascar: A Little Wild for eight seasons, concluding in 2022.

Look, Madagascar hasn’t totally disappeared – we’ve still seen bits and pieces over the years. But a full-on Madagascar 4? Universal just hasn’t put it into production yet, which is a bit of a bummer as a fan.

The studio has been heavily focused on making franchise films, recently expanding the Despicable Me/Minions series and planning a fifth Shrek movie. This makes a revival of the Madagascar franchise a real possibility.

For over ten years, rumors have circulated about a possible sequel to Madagascar, but there hasn’t been an official announcement. The most recent update came in 2017 when director Tom McGrath hinted that a follow-up was being considered, stating, “There are things in the works, nothing is announced yet, but I think they’ll show their faces once more” (according to HeyUGuys).

While nothing is official yet, another Madagascar movie is a possibility. Given the continued popularity of the Ben Stiller franchise – it’s currently performing well on streaming – Universal and DreamWorks should consider revisiting the idea.

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2026-01-03 22:05