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After co-directing 2007's Bee Movie alongside Steve Hickner, Simon Smith is now riding solo on another DreamWorks Animation feature. Smith has been tapped to direct the studio's Madagascar spin-off movie centering on the franchise's ever-popular penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Private, and Rico. DreamWorks announced development on the project back in March when it handed over script duties to Megamind screenwriters Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons. In spite of its recent progress, Heat Vision reports that the film isn't expected to begin casting anytime in the near future. As for Smith, the director is quite familiar with DreamWorks properties having worked as the head of layout for Antz and Shrek as well as directing two video shorts entitled Far Far Away Idol and Megamind: The Button of Doom while working his way through the studio ranks. Megamind's Lara Breay will produce the spin-off pic.

DreamWorks Animation has tapped Bee Movie diector Simon Smith, to direct the untitled Madagascar spin-off starring the penguins. THR also reports that Lara Breay (Megamind) has come on board to produce. The project was put on the fast-track in March when Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, were hired to write the script  focusing on "the paramilitary parables of plucky penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico."

The project is still in the early stages, so no one has been cast yet. Smith got his start as a Dwa animator who rose through the ranks. He served as Head of Layout on Antz and Shrek, and a layout consultant on Shrek 2 before directing Shrek 4-d for Universal Studios theme park. He also directed two video shorts that were DVD extras on Dwa releases: the Shrek-themed short Far Far Away Idol and Megamind: The Button of Doom.

The penguins are the...

Not only are Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) coming back in a third Madagascar movie, but the Penguins of Madagascar are soon to become big-screen headliners thanks to a fast-track project at DreamWorks Animation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Megamind scribes Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons are busy crafting the Madagascar Penguins movie featuring Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico on new adventures. Simon Smith, who co-directed the DreamWorks Animation release Bee Movie, starring Jerry Seinfeld and Reneé Zellweger, as well as the DVD extras Far Far Away Idol and Megamind: The Button of Doom, is set to direct with Lara Breay producing.

Not only are Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) coming back in a third Madagascar movie, but the Penguins of Madagascar are soon to become big-screen headliners thanks to a fast-track project at DreamWorks Animation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Megamind scribes Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons are busy crafting the Madagascar Penguins movie featuring Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico on new adventures. Simon Smith, who co-directed the DreamWorks Animation release Bee Movie, starring Jerry Seinfeld and Reneé Zellweger, as well as the DVD extras Far Far Away Idol and Megamind: The Button of Doom, is set to direct with Lara Breay producing.

Not only are Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) coming back in a third Madagascar movie, but the Penguins of Madagascar are soon to become big-screen headliners thanks to a fast-track project at DreamWorks Animation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Megamind scribes Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons are busy crafting the Madagascar Penguins movie featuring Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico on new adventures. Simon Smith, who co-directed the DreamWorks Animation release Bee Movie, starring Jerry Seinfeld and Reneé Zellweger, as well as the DVD extras Far Far Away Idol and Megamind: The Button of Doom, is set to direct with Lara Breay producing.

Chicago – DreamWorks’ “Megamind” features a fantastic voice cast (one of the best of 2010) and will play very well to legions of rugrats over the next few years, but it’s a film that might leave their parents shrugging their shoulders in disappointment. With three of the best animated films ever made hitting theaters last year (“Toy Story 3,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Illusionist”) along with quality alternatives (“Despicable Me,” “Tangled”), it’s likely that “Megamind” will appropriately get lost in the mix of history when people talk about this era of the medium.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

Like “Despicable Me,” the title character in “Megamind” (Will Ferrell) learns that being a bad guy isn’t as much fun as being a good one. It’s interesting that with so many real-life corporate villains, Hollywood is telling stories of powerful men learning lessons about evil. In the case of “Megamind,” as in so many super hero stories,...