Director Simon J. Smith talks to TFK about making Penguins of Madagascar
Director Simon J. Smith talks to TFK about making Penguins of Madagascar
Private, Skipper, Rico, and Kowalski steer a gondola during an action scene.
The cute and comical penguins from the Madagascar films are the main attraction in the new spin-off film, Penguins of Madagascar. In the action-packed adventure, we find out that the clumsy friends—Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private—are actually top secret agents. The group joins forces with a sleek, undercover group known as the North Wind. Although the groups have different styles, they have the same mission: Defeat Dr. Octavius Brine before he takes over the world.
Director Simon Smith spoke to TFK about the upcoming 3D film. He says Dr. Octavius Brine, also known as Dave, wants revenge on the penguins. When they became a popular zoo attraction, less people visited the octopus tank. Dave was thrown out of zoo after zoo. “He had enough,” Smith told TFK. “So, he wants revenge on these penguins because they made his life miserable.”
In Dave’s quest to steal all the cuteness from the penguins, he kidnaps Private—the newest little penguin. The others try to save him but are sometimes distracted by their biggest weakness—a snack called cheesy dibbles. The friends try to take on convert spy tasks and learn the importance of teamwork. “The theme of the film is that it doesn’t matter who you,” Smith says. “Anybody can be a hero.”
Penguins of Madagascar slides into theaters on November 26.
TFK:
How does this movie differ from the other Madagascar films?
SIMON J. SMITH:
Our penguins are center stage now! Before, they were side characters just there for comic relief.
TFK:
Do viewers need to have seen the other films to appreciate this movie?
SMITH:
I don’t think so. The new film picks up right where Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted left off, but you don’t have to see the others to enjoy the film.
TFK:
For fans of the show on Nickelodeon, what can they expect from this film?
SMITH:
The penguins exists in two universes-the one in the TV series and the one in the film world. We picked the film world to follow. People who are fans of the TV series, you have the same characters but you’ll be following all the fun and games from the last film and going from there.
TFK:
The penguins love cheesy dibbles. How did you decide on that snack?
SMITH:
One of the head writers wrote a really brilliant gag where Skipper is crunching on the cheesy dibbles. You can see it in the movie trailer. We thought the visible cheese dust and the crunchy sounds were really funny.
TFK:
One of my favorite scenes is when Dr. Octavius Brine, a.k.a Dave, Skypes with the penguins and has technical difficulties. What was the goal of this scene?
SMITH:
We wanted to make sure Dave is in your head the whole time. And we wanted to make sure things were getting worse by the minute. We had a lot of conference calls during the making of the movie and we had technical problems ourselves. That’s where the joke came from.
TFK:
Can you talk about the North Wind?
SMITH:
We wanted characters to upset the balance of Skipper’s journey. Our penguins act first and realize what happened later. In contrast, the North Wind is greatly funded and they have gadgets and data. They’re the opposite of the penguins. It makes for great comedy.
TFK:
In real life, what is your favorite zoo animal and why?
SMITH:
I love octopuses. I think they’re incredible. They camouflage themselves, sometimes as seaweed, and so you can’t even see them. But, everyone loves penguins, they’re like little people wandering about. And, they’re so cute.
TFK:
Why should our readers see this film?
SMITH:
There’s action, romance, drama, and silliness. If you want to have a fun time, go see this film. Stay after the credits—there’s a tiny surprise!