Its more than a little surprising to find out that Dreamworks' Madagascar series is the most expensive animated trilogy of all time, and without even including the upcoming penguin-centered spinoff it ranks as the second most expensive animated franchise in history behind the $535m combined budget of the four Shrek movies. While the series isn't as critically-adored as some of its peers, each new entry has earned more than its predecessor, resulting in over $1.8bn at the box office. As well as the improving commercial performance, the quality of the movies themselves has also steadily improved. While the first Madagascar tended to sacrifice story in favor of broad gags and pop culture references, by the time third effort Europe's Most Wanted hit theaters the franchise had found a genuine sense of warmth and wit to go along with the A-list voice cast and colorful visuals. Given the increasing expense that comes with making an animated blockbuster and Dreamworks' reliance on their big-name brands to sell tickets, by the time the third installments of the Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon franchises are released they will have easily eclipsed the hefty cost of the Madagascar movies.
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