Storming In

Blue Sky has officially announced that a fifth Ice Age is happening, and just in time for the holidays, too! (I bet you are all cringing right now…)

When does the fifth installment come out? July 15, 2016…

Makes sense, since Ice Age movies are now July releases. It's been that way since the third one, which raked in the most money out of the four. But wait a minute!

Blue Sky was supposed to have Anubis - a co-production with Fox Animation Studios based on Bruce Zick's ancient Egyptian-themed The Anubis Tapestry: Between Twilights - ready for summer 2016… Well, it's been moved to March 23, 2018. That was one of the dates Fox secured for a future animated release... Remember? Fox unveiled that massive animation slate where each release was simply called "Untitled Fox/DWA/Blue Sky" back in May? One of the dates on that big ol' slate was 3/23/2018.

Now that slot has been filled! Which slot will be filled next?

Anubis' will also be the first Blue Sky film to be a March release since 2008's Horton Hears a Who!

What do you think of this recent rescheduling? I for one am a bit disappointed, but hey… It's freakin' Ice Age, the last one grossed over $800 million at the worldwide box office much like its predecessor. These films really smash the overseas box office, make no mistake. Of course Blue Sky was going to make another one, and soon… I just wish we didn't have to wait so long for Anubis. Out of all the films on Blue Sky's upcoming slate, that one intrigued me the most. Rio 2 looks like the usual, I'm very much on the fence with Peanuts and 2017's Ferdinand could go either way.

Anyways, what's your take on all this? Sound off below!

Another Switcheroo

20th Century Fox adjusted their animation schedule a bit today, moving some DreamWorks films while also announcing dates for two new Blue Sky films...

As I had predicted, one of the four DreamWorks films once slated for release in 2015 got moved. Which one was it? Trolls. I saw it coming because Trolls currently has no names attached to the voice cast, whereas B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations and Kung Fu Panda 3 do. Trolls is now scheduled to open on November 4, 2016. B.O.O. now occupies the film's original June 5, 2015 spot, which indicates that Fox and DreamWorks will let Sony Animation occupy the September 2015 spot with Hotel Transylvania 2... Or Popeye. The Penguins of Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda 3 remain in the same place. I had a feeling that this was going to happen, because there was no way DreamWorks was going to have four animated films ready for release that year.

Blue Sky has two new films on its upcoming slate: Anubis and Ferdinand. The former is scheduled for a July 15, 2016 release while the latter is pegged for April 7, 2017... Talk about thinking ahead!

Anubis, based on Bruce Zick's The Anubis Tapestry: Between Twilights, has been in the works for quite a while. The plot and Ancient Egyptian theme are ripe for animation, so this one could work out pretty well... That is, if it isn't anything like Epic where the the setting seems compelling but there's hip-talking characters and celebrity/paycheck-seeking celebrities doing the voices. But then again, I might be judging that book by it's cover. I may end up really liking that one so, we'll see!

Ferdinand seems to have come out of left field, and I'm not really sure what they will do with the classic 1936 book. I expect Ice Age-esque goofiness and comedy, but they could surprise us.

So now DreamWorks' upcoming slate (2015 onwards) looks like this...

The Penguins of Madagascar - March 27, 2015
B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations - June 5, 2015
Kung Fu Panda 3 - December 23, 2015
Mumbai Musical - March 18, 2016
How To Train Your Dragon 3 - June 18, 2016
Trolls - November 4, 2016

Hopefully we'll hear about what DreamWorks is planning to release in 2017 sometime soon... The optimist in me hopes for Me and My Shadow, rather than something like... I don't know, The Croods 2?

It also seems like Blue Sky will continue to have one film ready for release each year.

What do you think of these recent changes to the schedule? Do the two new Blue Sky films sound good to you? Do think DreamWorks made a good decision moving Trolls? Sound off!