Zombie Night + Madagascar: Discover a Family Night at the Zoo in Cinemas!

SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN AGED 8 AND UP

The Story Begins: One night, a meteorite crashes into the Colepepper Zoo, releasing a virus that turns the animals into drooling zombie mutants! Gracie, an offbeat young wolf, teams up with Dan, a gruff and formidable cougar, to find a way back to her pack.

As the virus threatens to infect the entire zoo, they must devise a plan to cure the animals. With the help of a band of survivors – Xavier, a movie-loving lemur; Frida, a spirited capybara; Ash, a sarcastic ostrich; and Felix, a treacherous monkey – they embark on a dangerous mission to defeat the zombies, determined to spread the virus beyond the zoo walls.

Welcome to the terrifying… NIGHT AT THE ZOO!

What They’ll Love: Do your children enjoy a good scare? Then they’ll love A Night at the Zoo! Inspired by the cult classic film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which is referenced in the movie by the cinephile lemur, the film features adorable animals turning into zombies after becoming infected.

An unlikely team consisting of a wolf, a cougar, an ostrich, a baboon, a lemur, a capybara, and a baby hippopotamus (a nod to Moo Deng fans) will attempt to save the zoo from this peculiar virus.

Co-produced by Mac Guff Studios (Despicable Me), A Night at the Zoo is based on the concept of a graphic novel that never materialized. Author and filmmaker Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Candyman) had envisioned a graphic novel featuring animals infected with a virus in a zoo turning into zombies.

Although this graphic novel was never released, Barker allowed Steve Hoban, a screenwriter and producer at Copperheart, to draw inspiration from his story for a family-friendly animated film.

This story came just in time for Hoban, who had just won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2005 and was looking to make a horror-themed animated feature.

Hoban collaborated with James Kee (A Christmas Horror Story) and wrote the screenplay for A Night at the Zoo. However, they had to adapt the story and creatures for a younger audience as the original graphic novel was too horrifying.

They created “gelatinous creatures,” made of a slimy substance, to tone down the zombie imagery and not frighten children. Moreover, the story concludes with a happy ending that younger viewers will appreciate.

Potential Concerns: The film includes several scary scenes that might unsettle younger viewers. Therefore, A Night at the Zoo is recommended for children aged 8 and older. For directors Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro, this film is ideal for introducing children to the horror genre.

The film’s bright colors, the design of the animals, and the bonds they form help soften the movie, creating chills without being too frightening.

Lasting Impressions: To survive the zombie invasion, animals that would typically prey on each other must work together. This film highlights the importance of setting aside differences to unite against a common threat, emphasizing that strength lies in unity. Viewers will particularly enjoy the cinephile lemur.

Speaking of cinephilia, those more familiar with the genre will recognize the various influences cited by filmmakers Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro. In addition to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, they reference a diverse array of films such as The Thing, Madagascar, The Walking Dead, Gremlins, Ghostbusters, and Night of the Living Dead, where unrelated individuals take refuge in a house.

Rodrigo Perez-Castro explains, “We chose different animal species not only for narrative contrast but also for visual contrast. These animals occupy different ranks in the social hierarchy: some are predators, others are prey, and they have nothing in common.”

Discover A Night at the Zoo in theaters.