DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NYSE: DWA: 26.74, -1.39, -4.94%) today announced that its highly anticipated sequel, "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" made box office history yesterday in both Russia and the Ukraine. The continuing saga of the Central Park Zoosters bowed in Russia to the biggest opening day ever for an American film and set the record for the biggest opening day of all time in the Ukraine. Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is distributing the feature worldwide.

In Russia, the film opened on 841 screens, grossing US$2.81 million. This record establishes "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" as the second biggest opening of all time in the country, besting all previous animated feature releases. In the Ukraine, the film opened on 92 screens to a gross of US$396,000.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation, said, "These numbers are confirmation of the worldwide popularity of the characters from the original film and the strength of the storytelling in the sequel. We are looking forward with enthusiasm to its worldwide release and domestic opening on November 7th."

In the highly anticipated sequel to "Madagascar," Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins and the chimps find themselves marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar. In the face of this obstacle, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane -- sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all -- the vast plains of Africa, where the members of our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. Africa seems like a great place ... but is it better than their Central Park home?

(FOXNews.com November 7, 2008)