Eric Darnell is an American director, writer, producer, animator and voice actor. He made his directorial debut with the music video R.E.M: Pop Screen. Before direction, Darnell worked as an animator for Shrek (2001) and a few episodes of The Simpsons. However, he is best known for writing and directing Madagascar film series that include Madagascar (2005), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) and Madagascar 3: Europe`s Most Wanted (2012). His 2014 release includes Penguins of Madagascar.