Happy Madagascar

Happy Madagascar is an upcoming Halloween television special, on the CBS network on October 16, 2025, which starred the characters from the film series Madagascar, and takes place between Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) and Madagascar: Gone Wild! (2024). It features many of the same voices from the film (except Sacha Baron Cohen, who was replaced by Danny Jacobs, the voice of Julien in both The Penguins of Madagascar and All Hail King Julien television series), including Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith.

## Plot

In 2014, the police from New York set off to the manor of Dr. Octavious Brine (who is actually, Dave, the penguins' archenemy, in disguise). Brine has kidnapped a family of housecats so he can sacrifice them to his old friend, the Netherwolf, an evil werewolf like hellhound who can open a portal to ghosts but only if he has the souls of cats of the same blood. One of the kittens, Sarah, belongs to a young boy named Carlos. As the mob prepares to storm the manor, the wolf devours Sarah's family, but Sarah escapes. Brine chases him and grabs him just as the mob enters. Dave manages to escape just as dawn approaches. Thus, when the hound tries to kill Sarah, he fails, and Sarah turns to stone and becomes a ghost. Dr. Octavious escapes before the police take him into custody.

ten years later after the events of Penguins of Madagascar, the animals prepare for Halloween celebrations; Alex practices scaring, and Marty tries to decide what he will be for Halloween, Melman however has a fear of Halloween of a childhood trauma on that same night. Their prospect of Halloween is cut short when King Julien tells everyone that the legend says that if you say 'Netherwolf' three times in front of Dave's old mirror, you will release the Netherwolf. However, he also claims that whoever destroys the monster shall earn the title "King of Halloween". Private, who is a "scaredy penguin" tries to overcome his fear by entering the condemned manor and says "Halloween Hound" three times in the mirror, Sarah the ghost kitten tried to warn the penguins, Private is terrified by Sarah's ghost and accidentally completes the reciting.

Meanwhile, after rejected by his owner saying that no one can have an octopus, Dave vows to get more revenge, thanks to his octopi henchmen, his haughty raven assistant, Scrap and the Netherwolf, himself. Alex tries to scare people (getting mistaken for a werewolf at one point) and Marty has trouble remembering what to say when walking up to houses for candy. Dave sends the Netherwolf to find the penguins, who ask for help from a sorceress spider monkey named Zelda. It is here that Sarah explains she is not trying to hurt them, but to warn them that the Netherwolf is coming. After using a spell to return Sarah to his body, the monster finds them and turns Zelda into stone. The kids are running from Dr. Octavious Brine and hide in the Halloween party where He finds his staff. They are rescued by Mr. Carlos (who is actually Sarah's owner).

Dave takes the penguins hostage in his manor and says that if the book isn't returned, he will kill them. The Penguins have a daring escape from their arch-nemesis. After escaping, the Penguins run from the beast who has turned Sarah to stone again and opened the portal. The evil spirits who've escaped the Netherworld turn everyone in Manhattan into zombies. Meanwhile, Scrap decides to stop and leave but is also turned to stone by the Netherwolf. Dave steals his book back and shoots his staff at Mr. Carlos.

Meanwhile, the zombies prepare to attack the children, prompting the animals to protect them. King Julien tries to reason with one of the zombies but fails. Marty discovers that the zombies are not after the children, but their candy. The penguins hide in the kitchen where Rico starts devouring Cheezy Dibbles. The Netherwolf finds them, and Kowalski comes up with a plan. Just when the Netherwolf is about to suck out Rico's soul, Kowalski signals Rico who farts, releasing out gas, repelling the magic and causing the Netherwolf to have his own soul sucked out. Then, Skipper smashes the Netherwolf's stone body to end his menace.

At that moment, Dr. Octavious Brine emerges and assumes leadership of the octopi and zombies. Marty's bungling leads the zombies to Circus Zaragoza, the place with the most candy. The children and animals rally against the zombies just as Alex tries to use his roar. The animals' attempts to defeat Dave seem to prove futile until Melman realizes from seeing Marty. suffering from indigestion that they must defeat the zombies with candy to turn them back to normal. the penguins help them by creating a Gatling gun platform for that purpose.

The kids and Mr. Carlos find Dr. Octavious Brine paralyzed after ending the Bible and the penguins takes Dave's book. Skipper reads the spell which returns the evil spirits back to the Netherworld and undoes the monster's evil, such as turning animals into stone. Alex destroys the staff to prevent Dave and his octopi henchmen from coming back.

Mr. Carlos is reunited with Sarah as well as the people being reunited with the zoo animals. The kids bid goodbye to Mr. Carlos, who has located the owners of Sarah's brothers and sisters and travels to California. The animals bid farewell to Sarah who thanks them for helping her defeat Dave.

Unnoticed, a surviving octopus tries to sneak away but is found by Mort, who knocks it unconscious, ending the special.

## Cast

* Ben Stiller as Alex the lion
* Chris Rock as Marty the zebra
* David Schwimmer as Melman the giraffe
* Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria the hippopotamus
* Danny Jacobs as King Julien XIII the ring-tailed lemur
* Cedric the Entertainer as Maurice the aye-aye
* Andy Richter as Mort the Goodman's mouse lemur
* Tom McGrath as Skipper the penguin
* Jessica Chastain as Gia the jaguar
* Bryan Cranston as Vitaly the Siberian tiger
* Martin Short as Stefano the sea lion
* Chris Miller as Kowalski the penguin
* Christopher Knights as Private the penguin
* Conrad Vernon as Rico and Mason
* John Malkovich as Dave the octopus
* David Soren as Zelda, the spider monkey
* Anna Kendrick as Sarah the devon rex kitten
* Frank Welker as Sonya the bear
* Paz Vega as the Andalusian Triplets

## Trivia

* Although the special takes place between the third and fourth film, the events actually took place after Penguins of Madagascar (2014).
* It is the fourth DreamWorks Animation Halloween special, after Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (2009), Scared Shrekless (2010), Thriller Night (2011) and Night of the Living Carrots (2011).

## Quotes

* King Julien: It starts on Halloween Night 2000 million years ago, a young couple was heading down through the island, when they encountered a horrible, bloodthirsty doglike monster! And the young couple was never seen again! So, remember, if anyone says the word "Netherwolf" three times, in front of that mirror in that creepy old mansion at the edge of Manhattan, you will unleash the beast!

* King Julien: But whoever defeats the monster, shall be known....as the "King......of Halloween!"

* King Julien: (After Skipper destroys the Netherwolf's stone body) Ah, ha ha ha! The Avian Boy is now the King of Halloween!

## Trivia

* The island of Madagascar is mentioned in the special.
* King Julien wears a different crown similar to the red and green leafed one, except the leaves are painted orange and black and has skulls as King of Darkness (Halloween themed).
* Rico has a Mohawk and scar around his face.
* This was the second time Mort says "Hehehe, Naughty me." after defeating one of Dave's henchmen at the end of the special.
* Anna Kendrick previously co-starred in Trolls (2016) and Trolls: World Tour (2020)