A decade after the first "Ice Age" opened, its comedic prehistoric cast returned in 2012 with the third "Ice Age," directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier. With particular appeal abroad, it collected $874 million worldwide.
Manny and his posse will be back in theaters on July 15, 2016.
From Fox Animation Studios and Blue Sky Studios, Ice Age 5 intends to continue the success of the blockbuster family franchise. All told, the first four films grossed $2.8 billion at the global box office.
Last year’s Ice Age: Continental Drift took in $874.9 million worldwide, including a massive $714 million internationally. Fox hasn’t released any details about the fifth installment, although most of the main voice cast — led by Ray Romano as Manny the wooly mammoth — is expected to return.
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The July 2016 date was originally occupied by Anubis, another Fox Animation and Blue Sky title. Anubis is being pushed back two years to March 23, 2018, the Easter corridor.
Anubis is loosely based on Bruce Zick‘s novel about a mummy’s curse that results in an unintended trip to the Egyptian underworld.
Summer 2016 also sees the debut of Pixar and Disney’s Finding Dory, a sequel of sorts to Finding Nemo. Finding Dory hits theaters June 17 — the same day that DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon 3 is scheduled to open, making for an epic showdown. (Fox distributes and markets DWA titles.)
