Who composed the musical score for the 2005 animated film Madagascar?

Hans Zimmer composed the musical score for the 2005 animated film Madagascar.

Zimmer’s score supports the film’s movement from New York City to the wilderness of Madagascar. It combines orchestral adventure music with energetic comedy cues, helping distinguish the urban opening, the animals’ voyage and their confused attempts to survive in the wild.

The film also uses prominent licensed and performed songs, including “I Like to Move It,” which became strongly associated with King Julien and the franchise. That song is separate from the original dramatic score composed for the movie, so it should not be credited as Zimmer’s composition.

Zimmer was already one of the best-known film composers in Hollywood when Madagascar was released. His work on animated films also includes The Lion King, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Madagascar was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and became DreamWorks Animation’s major 2005 release.