Honestly, nobody expected a movie about a grumpy mammoth and a lisping sloth to become a $6 billion empire. When the first Ice Age dropped back in 2002, it felt like a weird, chilly underdog. Blue Sky Studios was this scrappy team trying to compete with the giants at Pixar and DreamWorks. They didn't just compete; they basically took over the world for a decade.
Now, in 2026, we're looking at a list of the ice age movies that spans over twenty years of prehistoric chaos.
It’s been a wild ride. We’ve seen the "Sub-Zero Heroes" escape floods, hide from dinosaurs, and literally get tossed into outer space. If you're trying to keep track of the timeline, especially with Disney now holding the reins, it gets a little messy. Between the theatrical blockbusters, the direct-to-streaming spin-offs, and the holiday specials, there’s a lot of ground to cover.
The Big Five: The Theatrical Run
For most fans, the core of the franchise is the original quintet of films. These were the big-budget, theatrical events that defined animation in the 2000s and 2010s.
Ice Age (2002)
This is where it all started. It’s actually much darker than the later sequels. The plot follows Manny, Sid, and Diego as they try to return a human baby to its tribe. It’s got heart, it’s got that early-2000s CGI charm, and it introduced us to Scrat—the saber-toothed squirrel who is essentially the patron saint of bad luck.
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
The world is warming up, and the ice is turning into a giant water park. This movie introduced Ellie, the mammoth who thinks she’s a possum, and her brothers Crash and Eddie. It leaned way harder into the comedy and the family dynamics, which sort of became the template for everything that followed.
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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
This one is widely considered the peak of the franchise. It’s the highest-grossing entry, pulling in over $886 million globally. They found a "Lost World" under the ice, which sounds ridiculous, but it gave us Buck Wild. Buck is a one-eyed, dinosaur-hunting weasel voiced by Simon Pegg, and he basically stole the show.
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
Scrat accidentally breaks the world apart. Because of course he does. This movie took the herd to the high seas and introduced Granny (Sid's grandmother), voiced by the legendary Wanda Sykes. It’s a pirate movie, basically.
Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
Things got weird here. Scrat finds a UFO and accidentally causes a series of cosmic events that threaten Earth with a giant asteroid. Critics weren't super nice to this one. It felt like the franchise was running out of steam, and for a long time, we thought this was the end of the road for the theatrical releases.
The Disney Era and the Spin-offs
When Disney bought 21st Century Fox in 2019, they inherited the herd. They also shut down Blue Sky Studios, which was a huge bummer for the animation industry. However, they weren't about to let a multi-billion dollar brand sit on a shelf.
- The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022): This was a Disney+ original. It focused on Crash and Eddie going back to the Lost World to hang out with Buck. A bit of a warning: most of the original A-list voice cast (like Ray Romano and John Leguizamo) didn't return for this one, and the animation style felt a little "budget-friendly" compared to the big movies.
- Ice Age: Scrat Tales (2022): This is a series of six shorts on Disney+. It’s actually quite beautiful because it was the final project completed by the Blue Sky team before they were shuttered. It follows Scrat as he deals with fatherhood while still trying to secure that elusive acorn.
Why We’re Talking About It Again: Ice Age 6
The most important update for any list of the ice age movies is the big news that broke at D23 Brazil. Disney officially announced that Ice Age 6 is in production.
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It’s slated for a December 18, 2026 release.
This isn't another streaming spin-off; it’s a full-blown theatrical return. The best part? Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Denis Leary, and Simon Pegg are all confirmed to return. It’s taking the release slot that was originally held by an untitled Star Wars film, which shows you exactly how much faith Disney has in Manny and the gang.
Some rumors have floated the title Ice Age: Boiling Point, but regardless of the subtitle, the focus is clearly on bringing the "found family" back together for a new generation.
The Complete Watch Order (Chronological)
If you’re planning a marathon, don’t just look at the release dates. If you want to see the "evolution" of the herd, here is how the timeline actually flows:
- Ice Age (2002)
- Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
- Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011) – This is a 25-minute TV special.
- Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
- Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016) – Another short TV special, mostly focused on an Easter egg hunt.
- Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
- The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022)
- Ice Age: Scrat Tales (2022)
- Ice Age 6 (Coming December 2026)
Beyond the Screen: Why Does It Work?
You might wonder why we need six of these things. Honestly, it’s the "found family" trope. Manny is the grumpy dad, Sid is the annoying but lovable brother, and Diego is the cool uncle. It’s a dynamic that works for kids and adults alike.
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Also, Scrat.
Scrat is a masterclass in silent physical comedy. He represents the universal struggle of just trying to get through the day without the world literally splitting in half beneath your feet.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to catch up before the 2026 release, you've basically got one destination. Almost everything on the list of the ice age movies is currently streaming on Disney+.
- Start by revisiting the original 2002 film. It holds up surprisingly well as a character study before the series leaned into the "save the world" stakes.
- Skip Buck Wild unless you're a die-hard completist; the drop in animation quality is pretty jarring if you just watched the theatrical films.
- Make sure to watch Scrat Tales. It’s only about 25 minutes total and serves as a heartfelt goodbye to the original studio that created these characters.
- Keep an eye out for the first full trailer of Ice Age 6, which is expected to drop in mid-2026 to build hype for the December premiere.
The herd is coming back, and whether you love it or think they should have stayed frozen, they're clearly here to stay.