Ice Age: Scrat Tales
Scrat discovers he has a son in this short series.
Ice Age: Scrat Tales is an American animated short-form series from Blue Sky Studios. It premiered on Disney+ on April 13, 2022. The show is a spin-off of the Ice Age film series and marks the franchise’s first collection of shorts. The story follows Scrat, a saber-toothed squirrel, who learns he has a son.
The series earned generally favorable reviews. Critics praised its animation, humor, music, and lighthearted tone. Many viewers and reviewers saw it as a fitting farewell for the studio.
The plot centers on Scrat’s discovery of his offspring, Baby Scrat. Chris Wedge voices Scrat, and Kari Wahlgren voices Baby Scrat.
Production began with an official announcement on February 22, 2022—what would have been Blue Sky Studios’s 35th anniversary. The release date, cast, crew, teaser poster, and promotional images were all revealed at that time.
For animation, the series used Pixar’s RenderMan software instead of Blue Sky’s usual in-house CGI Studio. This was the first and only confirmed Blue Sky production to do so, as CGI Studio was being phased out. Animator Michael Knapp explained that this required remodeling Scrat with new fur, materials, and rigging. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the team to work remotely. Knapp also noted that the team was aware of *The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild* being made without Blue Sky’s involvement during the same period.
Batu Sener composed the musical score, and John Powell wrote the end titles. Sener also worked on the score for *The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild* (2022), while Powell had composed for earlier *Ice Age* films. The soundtrack was released by Hollywood Records on March 25, 2022.
The series debuted as a Disney+ original on April 13, 2022. It was the last Blue Sky Studios production released by 20th Century Studios after Blue Sky closed on April 10, 2021. It is also the only television series Blue Sky ever produced.
On the same release date, a former Blue Sky employee uploaded an unlisted YouTube video titled “The End” under the account name Finale. This short, separate from the series, concluded the long-running gag of Scrat chasing an acorn: he finally eats it without any complications and runs off-screen. It was reportedly the last animation Blue Sky made before closing, created by a small team as a self-made send-off.
- Production company
- Blue Sky Studios
- Release date
- April 13, 2022
- Platform
- Disney+
- Number of episodes
- 6 shorts
- Director
- Donnie Long
- Composer
- Batu Sener
- End titles composer
- John Powell
Lore & Background
The series was officially announced on February 22, 2022, which would have been Blue Sky Studios's 35th anniversary, with a release date of April 13, 2022. Unlike most Blue Sky Studios projects, which used the studio's in-house software CGI Studio, the series was produced using Pixar 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. Production was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing animators to work remotely. The series was the last production from Blue Sky Studios to be released by 20th Century Studios following Blue Sky's closure on April 10, 2021, as well as the only television series ever produced by Blue Sky.
Reader's Guide
Ice Age: Scrat Tales received generally positive reviews from critics with praise for its animation, humor, music, and light-hearted tone, with critics and audiences alike considering it a good sendoff for the studio. Joel Keller of Decider found the series to be entertaining and family friendly, stating there are enough funny moments to make it worth the brief time commitment. Polly Conway of Common Sense Media rated the series 3 out of 5 stars, finding agreeable the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing compassion and caring across the character of Scrat. Batu Sener's score was nominated for the Best Original Score in a TV Show/Limited Series category at the 13th Hollywood Music in Media Awards ceremony in November 2022. On the same release date, an unlisted video titled 'The End' was uploaded by a former Blue Sky Studios employee, featuring Scrat finally achieving his dream of eating an acorn; the short was allegedly the final piece of animation made by Blue Sky Studios before their closure, made by a small team of animators to serve as a send-off on their own terms.
Did You Know?
- The series was the first and only confirmed Blue Sky Studios production to use Pixar RenderMan instead of the studio's in-house CGI Studio.
- Batu Sener's score was nominated for Best Original Score in a TV Show/Limited Series at the 13th Hollywood Music in Media Awards.
- An unlisted short titled 'The End' was uploaded on the series' release date, showing Scrat finally eating an acorn.
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