| Ice Age: Scrat Tales | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Based on | Characters byMichael J. Wilson |
| Directed by | Donnie Long |
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | John Powell[2] |
| Composer | Batu Sener[2] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | |
| Producer | Anthony Nisi[1] |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 4 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ |
| Release | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) |
Ice Age: Scrat Tales is an Americananimated series ofshorts produced byBlue Sky Studios, which premiered onDisney+ on April 13, 2022. It is aspin-off of theIce Age franchise and the first series of shorts in the franchise.
The series received generally positive reviews from critics with praise for its animation, humor, music, and light-hearted tone, with critics and audiences alike also considering it as a good sendoff to the studio.
The series focuses onScrat, a saber-toothed squirrel who discovers that he has a son.
On February 22, 2022, which would have been Blue Sky Studios's 35th anniversary, the series was officially announced, with a release date of April 13, 2022. A teaser poster, the cast and crew, and promotional stills were also revealed and provided in press reports.[3][4][5]
Unlike most Blue Sky Studios projects which used the studio's in-house software CGI Studio, the series was produced usingPixar RenderMan, becoming the first and only confirmed Blue Sky Studios production to utilize the software, as CGI Studio was being phased out in favor of RenderMan. In an interview, Michael Knapp added that as a result, they had to remodel Scrat by re-furring, re-materializing and re-rigging the character.[6] Production was also impacted by theCOVID-19 pandemic, forcing animators to work remotely.[6] Knapp also went on to state that they were aware ofThe Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild being produced without the involvement of the studio around the same time production on the series occurred.[6]
Batu Sener composed the musical score, withJohn Powell composing the end titles; Sener was also a composer on theIce Age filmThe Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022), while Powell composed theIce Age filmsThe Meltdown (2006),Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), andContinental Drift (2012). The soundtrack was released on March 25, 2022, byHollywood Records.[2]
The series was released as aDisney+ original series on April 13, 2022.[7][8][9][10][11]
The series was the final production from Blue Sky Studios to be released by20th Century Studios following Blue Sky'sclosure on April 10, 2021, as well as the only television series ever produced by Blue Sky.
On April 13, the same release date that had been announced for the series, an unlisted video, simply titledThe End, was uploaded by a former Blue Sky Studios employee onto YouTube, whose account went under the nameFinale. The short, which was separate from the series, ended the infamous running gag by featuring Scrat finally achieving his dream of eating an acorn with no catches, and then happily scurrying off screen, presumably to find adventure elsewhere. The short was allegedly the final piece of animation made by Blue Sky Studios before their closure in 2021, made by a small team of animators to serve as "a send off on their own terms." The scene quickly went viral on the Internet which led to widespread coverage from major news sites, as they had reported that it finally left closure to Scrat's 20-year on-screen battle, in which he ultimately accomplished his goal.[12][13][14][15][16][17]
Every short is directed by Donnie Long, but co-directors are credited alongside him.
| No. | Title | Co-directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Nuts About You" | Michael Berardini | Michael Berardini | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
While searching for the acorn, Scrat comes across Baby Scrat, and decides to raise him on his own, but things quickly begin to go downhill when Baby Scrat sees the acorn for the first time. | |||||
| 2 | "LoFi Scrat Beats to Sleep/Chill to" | Matt Munn | Donnie Long | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
Scrat tries to retrieve his acorn from a sleeping Baby Scrat, but is forced to do double work in trying to take back the acorn and put Baby Scrat back to sleep, as his loud tantrum will start an avalanche that will crush them both, even if that means having to use whatever Baby Scrat throws at him. | |||||
| 3 | "X's and Uh-O's" | Drew Winey | James Young Jackson & Drew Winey | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
Scrat tries to teach Baby Scrat how to plant the acorn, which is actually a trap meant to capture him, but things go awry when the plan ends up backfiring. | |||||
| 4 | "Nutty Reflections" | Eric Prah | Galen Tan Chu | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
During their battle over the acorn, Scrat and Baby Scrat both discover a surprising secret about reflections when they come to life when no one looks at them. | |||||
| 5 | "Teeter Toddler" | Jeff Gabor | Galen Tan Chu | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
A babydodo steals the acorn, leaving Scrat and Baby Scrat in a risky balancing act on a log. | |||||
| 6 | "Nut the End" | Lisa Allen Keane | Michael Thurmeier | April 13, 2022 (2022-04-13) | |
During a battle over the acorn, the acorn seemingly disappears, making them believe they can live together in harmony, but when Scrat becomes old and dies and his soul tries to go to the afterlife, he learns that the acorn vanishing was all but a trick planned by Baby Scrat andreturns to his old body to seek revenge. | |||||
Joel Keller ofDecider found the series to be entertaining and family friendly, stating, "There are enough funny moments inIce Age: Scrat Tales to make it worth the pretty brief time commitment, especially if you're watching it with your kids."[18] Polly Conway ofCommon Sense Media rated the series 3 out of 5 stars, found agreeable the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing compassion and caring across the character of Scrat, and complimented the humor of the series, writing, "Chaotic critter becomes a parent in funny, violent shorts."[19]
Batu Sener's score was nominated for the Best Original Score in a TV Show/Limited Series category at the13th Hollywood Music in Media Awards ceremony in November 2022, but lost to1883's score byBrian Tyler and Breton Vivian.[20]
| Feature films |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV specials and series |
| ||||
| Short films |
| ||||
| Video games |
| ||||
| Related | |||||
