113-454: Scrat is a fictional rodent in the Ice Age franchise and the mascot of the now-defunct animation company Blue Sky Studios . In the 2002 film Ice Age plus its follow-up shorts and theatrical sequels, he is a saber-toothed, long-snouted ratlike squirrel with no dialogue who is obsessed with trying to collect and bury his acorn(s) , putting himself in danger and usually losing his food in
226-517: A UFO spaceship and colliding with different objects in outer space, resulting in the formation of a modern solar system. His attempted burial of his acorn in an asteroid resulted in the latter cracking and heading towards Earth, setting up the main conflict for the film. Scrat has also appeared in multiple shorts. In Gone Nutty , he stored many acorns for the winter and attempted to forcefully insert one more into his collection. This resulted in his collection being destroyed and one acorn to hit him from
339-517: A children's picture book. The 2002 film Ice Age , directed by the studio co-founder Chris Wedge , was a box office success and spawned the Ice Age franchise consisting in part of four theatrical sequels: Ice Age: The Meltdown in 2006, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 2009, Ice Age: Continental Drift in 2012, and Ice Age: Collision Course in 2016. During the studio's lifetime, it also produced several other theatrical films outside
452-404: A comedic sequence in the film's introduction while showcasing the environment as a large-scale force. The sequence for Scrat involved him trying to store his acorn for the winter season only for the glacier to disrupt his practice, in fact being responsible for cracking the glacier using his acorn and causing it to move. He initially conceptualized Scrat having stored many nuts but later simplified
565-426: A crisis as he tries fighting for ownership of the acorn from him. Scrat's final appearance in a Blue Sky Studios animation was in a short film that was posted to YouTube from an account named "Finale". In the short's plotline, he comes across an acorn in an open snowy area but is initially wary of danger. He then decided to consume his acorn in peace and hops away, satisfied. Scrat has also appeared in video games for
678-425: A dinosaur to whom Buck lost an eye many years before. Taking place sixteen years after the events of the third film, Manny's overprotective nature causes a rift between him and his teenage daughter, Peaches. Scrat's pursuit of acorns has world-changing consequences, separating Manny, Sid, Diego and Sid's cantankerous Granny from the rest of their group. Things take a dangerous turn when the gang come into conflict with
791-518: A division for Fox Feature Animation. With production resources from the large film company, Blue Sky Studio was able to recruit more talent and initiated production on the animated feature film Ice Age . By then, the animation studio was well-versed in 3D computer animation, having previously helped to animate for many other films and cooperating with various sets and actors. They aimed for a "non naturalistic" vibe for their second film but also wanted to make both their sets and characters immersive like in
904-504: A former friend of Supersonic, revealed that Supersonic was very passionate about her project, gave away merchandise of Sqrat in 1999 and 2000, and even did an interview about her character with CNN in February 2000. Her project at first attracted interest from other people according to 2003 court documents, as the film producer Lou DiBella and the TV director Michael A. Simon commissioned
1017-445: A glacier wall in two and falls into the emptying flood, unintentionally saving the other animals. Scrat reached a heavenlike place full of acorns but is pulled out against his will against Sid saved him via cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The next film Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs has Scrat in a rivalry with his potential love interest Scratte over the acorn. As the film progressed, the two began to push aside their obsessions of
1130-471: A guest appearance on the Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me! podcast, Leguizamo stated "We’re about to do Ice Age 6 !", though he did not expand on the comment. On November 8, the film was confirmed to release in 2026 with Ray Romano , John Leguizamo , Queen Latifah , Denis Leary , and Simon Pegg returning. The following week, on November 15, the film was given the release date of December 18, 2026, taking over
1243-401: A lawsuit against 20th Century Fox for copyright infringement. The 2003 court documents and later accounts have recorded the inconsistency of Scrat's origins according to Blue Sky Studio staff members. While the two characters have their names spelled differently, John Dodelson told Business Insider that he originally spelled Scrat with a "q," evident by internal emails from the studio. Besides
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#17327971750711356-439: A major role in the overall plot instead of being mostly disconnected segments to the plot of the other main characters. As a result, he decided that Scrat would be the cause of the glacier meltdowns at the film's beginning. Gone Nutty had also served as a basis for another short film No Time for Nuts , released in 2006 with the theatrical film and also making Scrat the protagonist. The third theatrical film and second sequel in
1469-639: A new story based on the first three Ice Age films. The plot begins with baby mammoth Peaches being kidnapped by an evil hawk-like creature called Shadow. Her father Manny sets off to rescue Peaches, accompanied by Sid and Diego. Their mission is successful, but on the way home they encounter avalanches and rockfalls, diverting them into a fantasy underground kingdom. It is being produced by Stage Entertainment Touring Productions, and directed by Guy Caron and Michael Curry. The music and lyrics were written by Ella Louise Allaire and Martin Lord Ferguson. With
1582-533: A pilot script by Norah Lally for an animated series about Sqrat, who was potentially to be voiced by the American musician Tommy Lee . However, the two producers could not come to an agreement with Supersonic's lawyer and father Jerome Silberstein , resulting in the project's cancellation. Afterward, Supersonic discussed an animated web series for Sqrat for the internet company Urban Box Office Network but rejected their $ 50,000 offer because she felt that her concept
1695-473: A project to fill in a production gap before the start of their next feature film. The director Carlos Saldanha and the same creative team for Ice Ace produced the 2002 short film Gone Nutty , an animation that features Scrat as the protagonist. The team developed a better understanding of Scrat's character and improved their technological uses in animation. Frake defined Scrat as "the personification of [the] struggle" between characters trying to survive and
1808-473: A rag-tag pirate crew led by the sadistic Captain Gutt. As the friends embark on an epic adventure in their desperate bid to return home, Diego grapples with his conflicting feelings for Gutt's feisty first mate, Shira, and Manny struggles to accept that his daughter may be growing up. Five years after the events of the fourth film, Manny and Ellie are planning the upcoming wedding between their daughter, Peaches and
1921-458: A son. Footage of the series was later leaked onto YouTube , with former Blue Sky animators revealing that the series would be coming to Disney+ in 2022 after The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild . A plush for the character of Scrat's son was unveiled via Just Play Products’ website, with the second image featuring a blue tag containing the logo for Scrat Tales, although the listing was retitled under The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild to promote
2034-415: A squirrel "Scrat," combining the words "squirrel" and " rat ". His account conflicts with court documents in 2003 that reported de Sève being the character creator and the film model maker John Dodelson naming the character "Scrat" while sculpting a clay model for the squirrel. Wedge credited himself, de Sève, and Frake for the creation of Scrat and noted that his conception came from him wanting to establish
2147-576: A teaser trailer for Ice Age featuring Scrat. The character in the trailer was well received by audiences for his involvement in circumstances of slapstick comedy, leading Wedge and his studio towards keeping Scrat alive and adding him to more scenes. His personality and greater plot involvement were standardized by the release of the 2002 short Gone Nutty and implemented into subsequent films. Scrat has been widely praised for his pantomime behaviors and comedic antics with his acorns, in particular his suffering from slapstick comedy, and has been considered
2260-468: Is a 2008 animated short film directed by Galen Tan Chu and Karen Disher . It was originally released on the Horton Hears a Who! DVD and Blu-ray . Unlike the first two Ice Age short films, Surviving Sid focuses on Sid, who incompetently "leads" a small group of camping children. A re-purposed version of opening minutes of Dawn of the Dinosaurs used as a commercial for digital 3D release of
2373-653: Is a 2016 animated short film directed by Michael Thurmeier. It was originally released on the Ice Age: Collision Course DVD and Blu-ray. The short once again follows Scrat, trying to get back to Earth after the events in Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe . In April 2022, as a send-off and tribute to Blue Sky Studios, several animators (including Wedge) released a 35-second-long short film in which Scrat finally gets to eat his acorn without any trouble and runs off to seek adventure elsewhere. It
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#17327971750712486-403: Is a possum, and her possum brothers Crash and Eddie. As they begin to travel together, Manny learns, with help from Diego and Sid, that he must move on from his past and open his heart to change. During their journey, Scrat , a sabre-toothed squirrel, has his own adventure. Manny and Ellie are happily married and expecting their first child. Scrat falls in love with fellow squirrel Scratte. Diego
2599-528: Is anxious about how things will change after Manny becomes a father and considers leaving the Herd. Sid begins to wish for a family of his own, and steals some dinosaur eggs but after the dino mother comes back for her stolen eggs and takes the talkative sloth home with her, the herd must travel to a colourful underground world to rescue him. During the adventure, Manny and the gang meet Buck, an insane one-eyed weasel who aids them on their quest while hunting down Rudy,
2712-415: Is going to be our mascot.' Nobody had any idea. He was just another fun character. I do remember having a wall full of drawings [of him]. I remember thinking this guy is twitchy. He moves quickly. So I did drawings of him digging a hole and looking frantic. He is a nervous character." - Peter de Sève , character designer. Tara Bennet, The Art of Ice Age Scrat is a fictional species of rodent from
2825-644: Is of a primal nature in which he hoards his acorn that is almost neither safety stored nor exchanged to other characters. Hence as part of the Hobbesian philosophical model in which humans naturally fight each other for their own interests, Scrat as a result ends up in battles with other characters such as Sid for his acorn due to his primal sense of competition for resources. Robert Pitman of Screen Rant , calling Scrat " Ice Age's most iconic character," spoke highly of Blue Sky Studio's decision to allow him to eat his acorn successfully after having failed to for much of
2938-399: Is targeted for child audiences, comparing its potential value to that of Disney's Mickey Mouse . She was hoping that her idea would be used in mainstream media, hiring a lawyer to apply for an intent-to-use trademark for "Sqrat" and recruiting her friend Peter Levine to create concept art for it on a banner. The furry rodent in question had large buck teeth and a poofy tail. Iris Cole-Hayworth,
3051-405: Is the protagonist of other media such as certain shorts and his own miniseries Ice Age: Scrat Tales . In all of his appearances, he was voiced by the studio co-founder Chris Wedge , who also directed the first film. The origins of Scrat is unclear because of inconsistent creation stories by different studio staff members combined with the prior existence of a squirrel character named "Sqrat" who
3164-428: The 18th highest-grossing franchise of all time, and the third highest-grossing animated franchise worldwide behind Despicable Me and Shrek . The first four films were the highest-grossing animated films in each year they were released, and among the eight highest-grossing films in their respective release years. The fifth film was considered a commercial disappointment and is the lowest-grossing film in both
3277-546: The 2003 Academy Award for Animated Short Film . No Time for Nuts is a 2006 animated short film directed by Chris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier . It was originally released on the Ice Age: The Meltdown DVD. The short follows Scrat on a chase after his nut, as he and the nut are sent back and forth through various eras by a frozen time machine. No Time for Nuts was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Surviving Sid
3390-585: The Ice Age franchise including during the acquisition of 20th Century Fox (including the animation studio) by The Walt Disney Company in 2019. In 2021, Blue Sky Studios shut down, with a Disney spokesperson citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the reasoning for the decision. The upcoming film Ice Age 6 is being developed by 20th Century Animation under Disney. "Scrat came out of the request of, 'Quick, we need this character!' It wasn't, 'We have this thing that
3503-426: The Ice Age franchise with both squirrel and rat physical traits and movements. The origins of Scrat's conception is unclear, with Louisa Mellor of Den of Geek stating that he "seems to have more origin stories going around than Spider-Man ". According to The Art of Ice Age by Tara Bennet, multiple artists had encountered different inspirations that all led to the development of Scrat's characteristics. During
Scrat - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-405: The Ice Age franchise, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs , features a female counterpart to Scrat named Scratte. The film director Saldanha explained that Scratte was intended to extent Scrat's role in the story in a way not previously explored in other features. De Sève stated that Scratte's personality is the opposite of Scrat in that she is "good-looking and smart". He further explained that Scratte
3729-475: The Ice Age franchise. Scrat is one of the playable characters for the 2006 tie-in video game Ice Age 2: The Meltdown , a platformer in which he solves puzzles and collects nuts. Scrat is also the sole protagonist and playable character of his own 2019 video game Ice Age: Scrat's Nutty Adventure , in which he seeks to recover his acorn from the Scratazon Temple. He is also a playable character for
3842-608: The School of Visual Arts in New York City where he met his future film directing partner, Carlos Saldanha . In 1982, Wedge worked for MAGi/SynthaVision , where he was a principal animator on the Disney film Tron , credited as a scene programmer. Some of his other works include The Brave Little Toaster . Wedge is the co-founder of the now defunct Blue Sky Studios , once one of the premier computer animation studios, and
3955-669: The Triassic , also resembled Scrat because of its long and flat snout and long fangs according to the paleontologist Ricardo Martínez. Ice Age (franchise) Ice Age is an American media franchise created by Michael J. Wilson , centering on a group of mammals surviving the Pleistocene ice age . It consists of computer-animated films , short films, TV specials and a series of video games. The first five films were produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by its then parent company 20th Century Fox . The series features
4068-490: The acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney , the project was confirmed to be still in development for Disney+ . In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as a film and to be titled Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild , centering around Buck going on an adventure in the Dinosaur World with Crash and Eddie. The film released on January 28, 2022 and features Simon Pegg reprising his role as
4181-550: The golden age of American animation but then stated that his characteristics were actually derived from personal experiences by different studio staff members. He recalled that the fictional squirrel's movement was inspired in part by the chipmunks that quickly scattered, stopped, and twitched outside his studio's window. Frake meanwhile reportedly drew his inspiration from a "peanut-obsessed" squirrel in his backyard in Lake Arrowhead, California that distracted him while he
4294-468: The "absolutely the best part" of Ice Age and the "true hero" of the film, starting from its introduction scene that made him relatable to her. She likened him to the Greek mythological character Tantalus because of their desires being forever out of reach, making Scrat a "tragic" character. Upside Down Shark writer Drew Friday followed the opinions of other critics by calling Scrat "the entire reason for
4407-434: The "beating heart of the Ice Age franchise" and said that the first thirty seconds of his onscreen appearance in the first film alone made it easy to understand the premise of Scrat's craving of acorns and external factors preventing him from achieving his goals. He also analyzed that Scrat was remarkably persistent in his one goal to reach his acorn in peace even amidst all the life-threatening obstacles that he faced, even to
4520-640: The 2002 film Ice Age , in which he traveled across a barren ice landscape to seek a place to bury his acorn. In his burial attempt, he causes a giant fissure to crack, unleashing two avalanches in the process. After narrowing escaping from the avalanches with his acorn, Scrat is accidentally stepped and carried away by multiple animals, indicating a shift in the film's focus towards different characters. Nonetheless, Scrat has sporadically appeared in several scenes including with "The Herd" consisting of Manny, Sid, and Diego, being repeatedly thwarted in his efforts to retrieve or bury his acorn by external factors. The end of
4633-413: The 2009 tie-in mobile app game for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs . He also appears in the mobile games Ice Age Village (2012) and Ice Age Adventure (2014), the former of which involves a mechanic in which the player taps on Scrat to steal his acorns while in a theater playing Scrat clips. He has also been sold as part of official Ice Age merchandise such as toys. Since his 2002 debut, Scrat has been
Scrat - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-591: The 2011 television special Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas , she also mentioned that Scrat "is the greatest and most fun character to work with" because of his flexible and comedic romance-like relationship with his nut. In regard to the 2012 sequel Ice Age: Continental Drift , the studio staff wanted Scrat to play an even larger role in escalating events that affect the other major characters. The art director Nash Dunnigan said that he and his colleagues wanted to stretch Scrat further both literally and figuratively, that his comedic acts would be felt planet-wide. Likewise, in
4859-492: The 2016 film Ice Age: Collision Course , they sought to further widen Scrat's antics in scale by involving his plot in outer space and having him interact with futuristic technology similar to the time machine in No Time for Nuts . The production team behind the series Ice Age: Scrat Tales had to remake the animation model for Scrat from the ground up and revealed that they had the idea of Scrat taking care of Baby Scrat from
4972-534: The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked . Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe is a 2015 animated short film directed by Michael Thurmeier. It was originally released in theaters alongside The Peanuts Movie . The short once again follows Scrat, who discovers a flying saucer frozen in a block of ice and accidentally powers it on and ends up creating the Solar System through a series of mishaps. Scrat: Spaced Out
5085-761: The English literature professor Heidi Hansson and her other coauthors saw the 2002 introduction scene as a moment of anthropogenic disaster, as Scrat had caused the glaciers to shift by cracking them but then lost his agency to reverse his actions, being forced to try to survive from his actions. They explained that Scrat's narrow escape from the ice reflects both terror of ice reminiscent of Romanticism tropes and slapstick elements in animation. Similarly, Parth Thaker and his fellow coauthors for Journal of Science & Popular Culture saw Scrat's irrational behaviors plus accidental individual ability to engineer his surroundings as being sources of humor to audiences that also highlight
5198-478: The Herd is forced to endure. In the end of the film, he encounters an island called "Scrat-lantis" - a combination of "Scrat" and " Atlantis " - where he encounters his civilized counterparts. His greed for acorns results in the destruction of the civilization and the formation of the United States. The fifth film Ice Age: Collision Course and the prequel short Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe involves him piloting
5311-466: The North Pole, they must come together and save Christmas. The special centers on a harried prehistoric bird mom who entrusts her precious, soon-to-hatch egg to Sid. When she recommends him to her neighbors—a condor mother, Cholly Bear and Gladys Glypto—business booms at his new egg-sitting service. Dastardly pirate bunny Squint, who is seeking revenge on the herd, steals, camouflages and hides all
5424-558: The acorn and embrace their romantic feelings for each other, moving in near the end of the film. Eventually by the film's end, Scrat ditched Scratte for his acorn. Scrat is also an important character in Ice Age: Continental Drift as his chase of his acorn over the Earth's core causes the breakup of the landmass into different continents and formations of iconic monuments, becoming a catalyst for natural disasters that
5537-409: The baby's tribe, when really Soto and the rest of the pack wait in an icy mountain range to ambush them, intending on killing Manny and stealing the child. During their journey, the trio bond over the infant and Diego must ultimately decide where his loyalties lie. Manny, Sid, and Diego are currently living in a large valley surrounded by an enormously high ice wall on all sides. The trio discovers that
5650-545: The bases of their small sizes and long fangs plus snouts. Blue Sky Studios was an animation studio specializing in 3D computer-generated imagery (CGI) animation that opened in 1987 and was established by a team of co-founders. In 1998, the studio produced their first animated feature, the short film Bunny , which won multiple awards for animation. The year after, it was acquired by the Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and became
5763-556: The clade Cynodontia that were first described after the 2002 film. The early shrew-sized mammal Cronopio dentiacutus , which lived in the late Cretaceous of South America, has been noted by the paleontologist Guillermo Rougier as being superficially similar to Scrat because of its long fangs, extended snout, and large eyes and therefore attesting to high ancient mammal form diversity. The small-sized mammal relative Pseudotherium argentinus , which lived in South America during
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#17327971750715876-404: The clumsy but sweet Julian. Manny is reluctant to let his daughter marry Julian as he thinks he is a bit of a goof but Peaches urges her father to get to know him. Scrat's pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of Earth aboard a UFO, where he accidentally sets off a series of intergalactic events that transform and threaten the planet. To save themselves from peril, Manny, Sid, Diego, and
5989-404: The comedy character Fonzie because of his breakout role compared to the main characters and arguing that he stole the show among kids and their parents in theaters who laughed at and applauded for him consistently. Another reviewer for the 2006 film, Monterey County Weekly writer Scott Renshaw, wrote that Scrat stood out to him and other people as the "real star of the show," warming them up to
6102-543: The design. Later at the same day, the storyboard artist Bill Frake suggested that the squirrel be used for a storyline involving him burying his nuts for the winter and storyboarded it with the approval of Wedge. The film producer Lori Forte confirmed Wedge's account regarding Forte and him wanting the "pre-historic squirrel, a sabre-tooth squirrel" to be in the movie after having observed de Sève's works in his office. Wedge noted that Scrat's skittish movements and exaggerated reactions were similar to those of cartoon characters in
6215-487: The director found out that preview audiences had positive receptions towards the teaser and wanted more screentime for Scrat, then opting to keep him alive and use him for more of the movie's scenes. From there, Scrat became a prominent character of the 2002 film. Since the first Ice Age movie, Scrat's dialogue-free voice was provided by Chris Wedge in the franchise. Shortly after the 2002 release of Ice Age , which received positive receptions, Blue Sky Studios sought to have
6328-518: The effective comedy of Scrat to him being a tiny creature who caused an event as massive as the beginning of an ice age and his visible anthropomorphic emotions such as fear. Wedge, de Sève, and Forte have all acknowledged Scrat's extreme nut obsession representing human persistence and struggle, with Forte comparing him to the comic strip character Charlie Brown failing repeatedly to kick the football; critics of other articles have followed similar sentiments. Ben McLeay of Pedestrian recognized him as
6441-413: The eggs. Once again, with Squint's twin brother, Clint, assisting, Manny, Diego and the rest of the gang come to the rescue and take off on a daring mission that turns into the world's first Easter egg hunt. In May 2021, it was rumored that a short series produced by Blue Sky Studios known as Scrat Tales would be coming to Disney+ . The series would follow the titular Scrat , who discovers that he has
6554-509: The end is a metaphor to humans and their struggles to keep what they need, that he is meant to be relatable to audiences in his joy and pain. In May 1999, the New York City fashion designer Ivy Supersonic reportedly encountered a squirrel that apparently had a rat-like appearance while walking at Madison Square Park . She formulated a "$ 100 million idea" of an animated squirrel-rat hybrid character that ends up in "wacky adventures" and
6667-508: The environment that threatens them as if it was an antagonistic character. He said that he worked around tight budgets and technological limitations by using the artstyles of both German Expressionism and abstract art to portray Scrat as an individual escaping from a hostile environment while trying to keep his much-needed food intact. Similarly, the Gone Nutty story artist William H. Frake III explained that Scrat never keeping his nut in
6780-453: The fifth film. In February 2022, Forte discussed the possibility of a sequel while promoting The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild , saying, "I think it's a little premature. We hope that people will respond to this, and that will promote us to be able to do another movie. If the audiences want it, we've got plenty of ideas. There's no end to ideas and adventures and characters, so we're ready if they're ready." In September 2024, while making
6893-468: The film as supporting characters. Various prominent characters were absent from the film without explanation, including Scrat, Peaches, Julian, Shira, and Brooke. Gone Nutty is a 2002 animated short film directed by Carlos Saldanha . It originally released on the Ice Age DVD . The short features Scrat, who is yet again having troubles with collecting his beloved acorns. The film was nominated for
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#17327971750717006-661: The film series, performing the character's "squeaks and squeals." In 2005, Wedge directed Robots , based on a story he created with William Joyce . In 2013 followed Epic , loosely based on Joyce's book, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs . In 2008, it was announced that Wedge would direct Hugo , though he was subsequently replaced by Martin Scorsese . In 2009, it was reported that Wedge would direct an animated feature film adaptation of Will Wright 's Spore , but since then there has been no further news about
7119-565: The film, occurring 20 thousand years later, features Scrat thawing from ice on an empty island and coming across a coconut. When he attempts to bury his coconut in the sand, he again causes a giant fissure to crack like on the glaciers in the film's beginning, activating a nearby volcano. Scrat has appeared in every Ice Age film sequel except for The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild . In Ice Age: The Meltdown , Scrat attempts to reach for his acorn using different techniques but fails every time. Although he eventually succeeds, he accidentally splits
7232-434: The film. Scrat's Continental Crack-Up is the first of a 2012 two-part animated short film directed by Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier. It was originally released in theaters alongside Gulliver's Travels and Rio . Scrat's Continental Crack-Up: Part 2 is the second of a 2012 two-part animated short film directed by Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier. It was originally released in theaters alongside Alvin and
7345-501: The film. Wedge directed the science fiction/action film Monster Trucks (2016). Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger wrote the script for the film, produced by Mary Parent . Wedge reprised the role of Scrat in a series of shorts for Disney+ titled Ice Age: Scrat Tales . The shorts premiered on the streaming platform on April 13, 2022. In 2023, it was announced that Wedge had joined Annapurna Animation , which had revived Nimona after it had been initially canceled following
7458-465: The films, too, had recognized the iconicity of Scrat. John Leguizamo , the voice actor for Sid, felt Scrat's pursuit of his acorn served as an analogy of the pursuit of the American Dream , as both Americans and Scrat keep chasing after what they want but never appreciate what they have. That of Diego, Denis Leary , expressed praise for Scrat being the funniest part of the films and said that he
7571-447: The franchise and Blue Sky's filmography, when adjusted for inflation. While the first film received generally positive reviews, the series has received some criticism for making no attempt to be scientifically accurate and has experienced a steadily declining critical reception with each succeeding film. Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure is a live arena ice show that combines ice skating, aerial arts, puppetry and film, and tells
7684-430: The franchise's success. He was also said to represent personal struggles with the pursuit of happiness and obsessed persistence by Wedge, de Sève, and other staff members, a sentiment followed by critics. Despite not being based on any animal species, Scrat has also been compared to more recently described species of Mesozoic cynodonts by paleontologists, namely Cronopio dentiacutus and Pseudotherium argentinus on
7797-457: The ground like a meteor, causing the supercontinent Pangaea to split into different continents. In the second short film No Time for Nuts , Scrat and his acorn both accidentally teleport to different locations at different times as a result of a time machine that he found. He is additionally one of the main characters of Ice Age: Scrat Tales , a six episode television series on Disney+ in which Scrat decides to take care of Baby Scrat but faces
7910-438: The herds of mammals journeying to the south. He meets Manny, a cynical and loner woolly mammoth who is travelling to the north, and decides to follow him, much to Manny's disdain. Along the way, the pair come across a woman who has jumped down the nearby waterfall in a desperate bid to protect her child after their camp was attacked by saber-toothed tigers. She silently pushes the infant towards Manny and Sid before disappearing into
8023-437: The ice wall is actually a wall that is barely holding a massive body of water that could flood the valley to nearly a mile underwater. A vulture tells them that there is a boat at the other end of the valley that may save them all, but they only have three days to reach it or die. Manny is also having trouble fearing the fact that he may be the last mammoth left. Along the way, they meet Ellie, a bubbly female mammoth who thinks she
8136-499: The impact of human destruction on their environments. Scrat's actions in the second film, they said, was one instance of the theme of global warming being highlighted (the others being a Palaeotherium couple arguing about the weather and an armadillo trying to profit from climate change). The English professor Thomas Strychacz noted the creativity of Scrat's midadventures, calling them "funny, manic, and fantastic". He offered his socioeconomic interpretation that Scrat's acorn obsession
8249-409: The later years of Blue Sky Studios, Scrat was referred to as the studio's mascot by both Chris Wedge and Peter de Sève, the latter of whom recognized him as a breakout character . Scrat is a major character in the Ice Age franchise since his debut in the 2002 film, relentlessly seeking to retrieve and/or bury his acorn only to be disrupted by external factors and/or personal errors. His storylines in
8362-511: The most iconic character of the Ice Age franchise by critics. His simple and comedic storylines have frequently been compared to those of the Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons from Warner Bros . Because of his popularity and history of expanded roles starting from the 2002 film, he was considered a breakout character by multiple writers along with de Sève and was a major factor of
8475-488: The movie's beginning then eventually being a highly entertaining final act to them. He referred to him as the "funniest cartoon character created since the zenith of Chuck Jones " because of the visual slapstick antics he was involved in that were similar to the Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons and American silent film comedy actors like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin . He then suggested that Scrat should have more spotlighting from Blue Sky Studios compared to
8588-439: The name, the lawsuit alleged copyright of artistic choices of the two similar characters. The cartoonist Mort Gerberg , brought in by Supersonic's attorney, noted similarities between the two in their long snouts, overhanging front teeth, and projecting eyes and therefore came to the conclusion that Fox copied from Supersonic. The court case process later revealed to the detriment of Supersonic that Levine's banner drawing of Sqrat
8701-514: The new film. The series was released as a Disney+ original series in April 2022. The soundtrack album for the show was released in March 2022 by Hollywood Records . Music for the series is composed by Batu Sener and End Titles music is provided by John Powell . The End (2022) All five films, produced on a total budget of $ 429 million, have grossed over $ 3.2 billion worldwide, making Ice Age
8814-441: The number to just one to highlight Scrat's scarce food management. Scrat at the end of the introduction sequence was originally going to be killed by a mammoth stepping on him to set a dark comedy tone for the entire film. The marketing department for 20th Century Fox then proceeded to use the clip as a teaser trailer, but Wedge initially disapproved of that due to wanting to keep the sequence from being spoiled to audiences. However,
8927-435: The other main characters of the Ice Age films. The storyboard artist Francis Glebas also compared Scrat to Wile E. Coyote, considering both to be the "perfect cartoon character[s]" because of their linear storylines involving simple goals that end in disaster for both. Scrat was cited by Fox Animation president Vanessa Morrison as being a major factor behind the long-term success of the Ice Age franchise. Several actors of
9040-457: The parental experiences of Michael Berardini, the first episode's director. The series was intended to have Scrat be tormented by his inner conflicts between the adopted baby and the acorn. Repeatedly prior to the studio's closure, Wedge expressed zero interest in Scrat keeping his acorn in peace. He said that it was a rule set for Scrat because it was the main premise for Scrat-based storylines. In
9153-474: The point that he ruined his own acorn collection because of his own greed in Gone Nutty and let his acorn-obsessed impulses control him over pursuit of his love interest Scratte in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs . He sympathized with Scrat lashing out with anger at a cruel and uncaring world and his endless battles with both external and internal conflicts. Anna Menta of Decider described Scrat as being
9266-731: The preview shows from October 19 to 21, 2012, in Cardiff , and from October 25 to 28, 2012, in Nottingham , A Mammoth Adventure officially premiered on November 2, 2012, during its three-day tour from November 1 to 3 at Wembley Arena in London. It continued in Germany in November 2012, with a plan to visit more than 30 countries in its five-year worldwide tour. In August 2016, Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure concluded its world tour and
9379-406: The process to his frustration. He additionally is a catalyst for major natural disasters that drastically alter the world around him and at times sets the stage for the main conflicts of the films. Scrat's storylines are mostly independent of those of other characters of " the Herd ," though the two do intersect at times. While Scrat is a side character for the theatrical films that he appears in, he
9492-552: The production of Ice Age , Chris Wedge struggled to think of an introduction showcasing the setting's climate but imagined the possibility of a glacier pressuring one small character or a group of characters. The studio artist Peter de Sève was the lead designer for the Ice Age characters and derived his animal designs from his research at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City , New York. He noted that he
9605-525: The property. [REDACTED] Category Chris Wedge John Christian Wedge (born March 20, 1957) is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor. He is best known for directing the films Ice Age (2002), Robots (2005), Epic (2013), and Monster Trucks (2016), with the former being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature . He won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Bunny (1998). Wedge
9718-468: The rest of the gang leave their home and reunite with the adventurous Buck, who leads them on a crazy cosmic journey to find a way to save the planet. On the possibility of a sequel, co-director Galen T. Chu stated in June 2016 that there were some ideas for the sixth installment. In July 2016, Bustle noted that the chances of a sixth entry were relatively high but would depend on the box office performance of
9831-414: The series: Ice Age in 2002, Ice Age: The Meltdown in 2006, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 2009, Ice Age: Continental Drift in 2012, and Ice Age: Collision Course in 2016. As of April 2016, the franchise had generated $ 6 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time . A standalone spin-off film, The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild ,
9944-416: The slot of an untitled Star Wars film. On the possibility of a potential sixth film in the franchise, in June 2016, Galen T. Chu, co-director of the film, stated that there were some ideas for the next installment. In August 2018, CEO of 20th Century Fox Stacey Snider announced that a television series based on Ice Age and centered around the character Buck is in development. In October 2019, after
10057-471: The studio's lifetime, considering it a perfect end to the company, the Ice Age franchise, and Scrat's story. As a result, he expressed concern about the upcoming Ice Age 6 potentially ruining the closure that the closed animation studio gave to Scrat and said that he would prefer for him to be substituted with another character. Despite not being based on any real-life animal species, Scrat has been compared to multiple extinct taxa taxonomically classified to
10170-475: The subject of overwhelmingly positive receptions to the point of being a highly popular animated character from the 21st century, with Susan Wloszczyna of USA Today referring to him as the "antithesis" of Mickey Mouse and noting the widespread appeal behind watching Scrat attempt to pursue his acorn and unintentionally altering the world in the process. A reviewer from Associated Press of Ice Age: The Meltdown reacted positively towards Scrat, comparing him to
10283-618: The success of [the Ice Age franchise]," having reacted with bewilderment towards Scrat's "cartoonish immortality" and escalating cataclysms leading up to the solar system being reshaped by him in Ice Age: Collision Course . He interpreted the rodent's impacts as being a nod to, for better and for worse, the effects that one person could have on the world. Furthermore, he saw a common pattern in Scrat's acorn obsession being his fatal flaw that brought him repeated pain and suffering because of his greed and persistence. Likewise,
10396-401: The theatrical films and spinoffs are largely independent of the main " herd " characters like Manny (a mammoth), Sid (a ground sloth ), and Diego ( Smilodon ), although he at times has encountered them and has caused natural disasters that put them in danger. Unlike in the theatrical films, several of the spinoff entries feature him as the protagonist. Scrat made his debut in the beginning of
10509-403: The title character. All of the other main characters are voiced by different actors. Batu Sener composed the film's score. Unlike the previous Ice Age films released by 20th Century Fox and produced by 20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky, the film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures , with the animation being outsourced to Bardel Entertainment . Manny, Ellie, Sid, and Diego appear in
10622-409: The trademark dispute by allowing Supersonic to sign an agreement in which she could keep her "Sqrat" trademark, and she sold T-shirts and other merchandise of the character. Carlos Saldanha, the director of the sequel film Ice Age: The Meltdown , informed Bennet that his involvement in Gone Nutty had helped him to plan out his personality and role for the sequel. Additionally, he wanted Scrat to play
10735-495: The two names to their respective owners. With the copyright case over, the Sqrat-Scrat legal conflict turned into a trademark issue, named Fox Entertainment Group , Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation v. Ivy Silberstein , that lasted years. Supersonic also used protest methods against Fox such as camping out in front of the apartment of the chairman Rupert Murdoch . However, her lack of usage of her Sqrat property
10848-407: The two refused it. An arbitrator settled the case by offering a split ownership of the clip between Fox and Supersonic while Scrat remained in copyright of the former. While Fox never denied that Scrat was based on Supersonic's character, the case judge Richard J. Holwell ruled that Fox's character differed from Supersonic's to the point of it being coincidental similarities and granted copyrights for
10961-513: The voices of Ray Romano , John Leguizamo , Denis Leary , Queen Latifah , and Chris Wedge . The film series centers mainly on " the Herd ," which since the first film consists of at least Manny (a woolly mammoth ), Sid (a ground sloth ), and Diego (a Smilodon ). The franchise also features mostly independent plotlines involving a dialogue-free saber-toothed squirrel named Scrat , who ends up in misadventures from trying to retrieve and bury his acorns. Five theatrical films have been released in
11074-433: The water. The two animals decide to search for the father and return the baby to him. The villainous Soto, leader of the sabers, instructs his second in command, Diego, to bring the baby to him so he can exact his revenge on the child's father, who frequently kills sabers with his tribe for their furs and meat. Diego comes across Manny and Sid and, since they refuse to just give him the child, he pretends to lead them towards
11187-455: Was actually slightly modified clip art. Jerome Silberstein attempted to find the original artist of the clip art to make a deal to make his daughter the owner of the image. However, Fox lawyers had outfoxed Silverstein by already having created their own deal with the company behind the clip art and gaining rights behind the retroactive license. The company had also attempted to offer a deal to Levine and his business partner for clip art rights, but
11300-443: Was conceived as an unused character by Ivy Supersonic . His design and personality were probably shaped by multiple staff members and ultimately finalized by Chris Wedge, the lead artist Peter de Sève , and the storyboard artist Bill Frake. Scrat was reportedly conceived midway through the film's production and was planned on being killed off by the end of the introductory scene. Despite Wedge's protests, 20th Century Studios released
11413-448: Was hurting her in court, and she was beginning to run out of money for the case to the point that she her to represent herself. She had succeeded in stalling Fox from trademarking the "Scrat" name repeatedly for years based on United States Patent and Trademark Office records. Once Disney purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019, they effectively acquired Scrat but also had to deal with the inherent lawsuit from Supersonic. In 2020, Disney settled
11526-456: Was intentionally portrayed as having aesthetic and evolutionary advantages over Scrat including her elegance, calmness, and flight ability. Scratte's voice actress Karen Disher said that her high-pitched squeaky voice was done to roughly imitate Wedge's voice and therefore show both Scratte and Scrat being the same species. She also revealed that Scratte also had a "devious and seductive side" in contrast to Scrat. Referring to her directing role in
11639-542: Was its Vice President of Creative Development until the studio was closed by The Walt Disney Company in 2021. He is the owner of WedgeWorks, a film production company founded by Wedge. In the 1990s, he and his studio worked on CGI effects for the movies Alien Resurrection and Titan A.E. In 1998, he won an Academy Award for the short animated film Bunny . Wedge later directed Blue Sky Studios' first computer-animated film, 2002's Ice Age , and served as executive producer for its sequels. He also voices Scrat in
11752-533: Was one of the co-founders of the animation studio Blue Sky Studios , before both Blue Sky Studios and its parent company 20th Century Fox acquired by Disney in 2019, later the former's closure in 2021. He has also voiced the character Scrat in the Ice Age franchise since the year of 2002. Wedge was born in Binghamton, New York . During his teenage years, Wedge lived in Watertown, New York which
11865-456: Was produced by Walt Disney Pictures without the involvement of Blue Sky and released exclusively on Disney+ in January 2022; Simon Pegg was the only returning actor. A sixth film, Ice Age 6 , is in production for release on December 18, 2026, with most of the main cast reprising their roles from previous installments. Sid, a goofy but good-natured sloth, is left behind by his family and
11978-541: Was produced prior to the company shutting down the previous year. In the middle of decorating for the holiday season, Sid accidentally destroys Manny's favourite decorations. Sid, convinced by Manny that he is now on Santa's naughty list, takes off with Crash, Eddie and Peaches for the North Pole to get back on the Santa's good side. When on the North Pole, Sid and his crew accidentally destroy Santa's Workshop. When Manny, Ellie and Diego, worried over Peaches's safety, arrive at
12091-633: Was replaced in North America by Ice Age On Ice . Ice Age inspired rides and attractions first opened at Movie Park Germany . In 2012, a new Ice Age 4D experience opened at Alton Towers. In 2014, new Ice Age rides opened at Dufan Ancol, Jakarta that introduced 2 Ice Age themed rides named Ice Age: Sid's Arctic Tours and Kontiki. In 2021, Ice Age attractions are featured at the first 20th Century Fox theme park, called Genting SkyWorlds , which opened in 2021 as part of Malaysia-based Resorts World Genting . Jakks Pacific produced toys based on
12204-416: Was rumored to be the inspiration for the town where his film Robots takes place, however he later dismissed this in an interview. He became interested in animation when he was 12 years old: "Back then, there was a TV special about kids making cut-out animation in a workshop—as I recall it was Yellow Ball Workshop—it was a clear technique to follow and I followed it. That fascinated me and it got me started. It
12317-627: Was so simple, effective and magical in outcome and I stuck with creating things throughout my childhood, teenage years and then college." He attended Fayetteville-Manlius High School , graduating in 1975. He received his BFA in Film from State University of New York at Purchase in Purchase, New York in 1981, and subsequently earned his MA in computer graphics and art education at the Ohio State University . He has taught animation at
12430-436: Was storyboarding for Ice Age . He said that it sought nuts on the porch and repeatedly tapped on his sliding doors . He attempted to ward it off by throwing a pizza crust at it and yelling at it out of frustration, resulting in the squirrel tearing his deck chairs and chattering at him. In a 2009 blog, the film co-writer Michael J. Wilson said he took inspiration for the character from his daughter, Flora, who at age 3 called
12543-422: Was told not to design any rodent character for the film but later took design inspiration from kangaroo rats in his research. According to Wedge, de Sève dug through hundreds of his sketches to pull out that of a squirrel character with large eyes and striped body later known as a "proto-version of Scrat"; the movie director then accepted the character concept for his film and told him to simply add saber teeth to
12656-471: Was worth "7 figures". In November 2001, a friend of Supersonic from Los Angeles , California informed her about the film Ice Age and its character Scrat and told her to get a lawyer. Supersonic said that she was in Los Angeles in 2000 and had a suitcase of Sqrat plot scripts, then trying to figure out who stole her idea. On 30 February 2002, a month before the theatrical release of Ice Age , she filed
12769-445: Was worthy of his own TV show or movie series. The film historian Leonard Maltin explained that Scrat's pantomime -like behavior, or his expressive behaviors in exchange for lacking dialogue, made slapsticks involving him accessible to audiences and outlined the same kind of Sisyphean obsession that also made Wile E. Coyote cartoons effective in comedy. Kathryn M. Ciechanowski, writing for the journal The Reading Teacher , attributed
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