ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN, from Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Animation, which grossed an exceptional $193.4 million domestically, arrives Nov. 21, 2006, on DVD (Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent., $29.98). This pre-Thanksgiving positioning for Black Friday, of course, is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year.
"We had tremendous success four years ago with a similar release date for the original ICE AGE,'" said Steve Feldstein, svp marketing communications for Fox Home Ent. The first ICE AGE sold more than 14 million units.
The MELTDOWN DVD includes a never-before-seen 3D-animated short, NO TIME FOR NUTS, created exclusively for the DVD. It will star Scrat, voiced by original ICE AGE director Chris Wedge. Other extras include commentaries by director Carlos Saldanha, producer Lori Forte and the production team; three short films, CRASH & EDDIE STUNTS; introductions to new characters Ellie, Crash and Eddie; a sound effects lab; bloopers involving Crash and Eddie; a featurette on John Leguizamo's voice characterization of Sid; and clips of Scrat's appearance on FAMILY GUY and Sid hosting the Fox Animation Domination lineup.
Other bonus features include:* The Animation Director's Chair - Storyboard, Animation, Final for "Play Dead," "Fish Story," "Nuts," "Family," "Face Off," "Drain"* Lost Historical Films on the Ice Age Period: The Sloth "Nature's Lovable Lisper," The Wooly Mammoth "Nature's Beast of Burden," The Saber-Tooth Squirrel "Nature's Nutty Buddy," The Saber-Tooth Tiger, "Nature's Fearsome Feline," The Vulture "Nature's Cleaners," The Possum "Nature's Spunky Spectacles"* Set Top Games - FACTOID MELTDOWN, SCRAT'S PIRANHA SMACKDOWN, SID SOCCER GAME, PERSONALITY MATCH GAME, VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAME MEMORY CHALLENGE.
The studio will launch a huge marketing campaign to promote the DVD, including promotional deals with Tootsie Roll, Carl Buddig, Malt-O-Meal, Hasbro, the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Assn. and others.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
