Disney’s Next Ice Age Movie Is Closer To Releasing Than You Think

The next Ice Age movie is set to release soon after a five-year-long wait for another film in the franchise, and a 12-year wait for another movie set in the main series. Though Ice Age is often comparatively underappreciated in the animated movie world compared to peers like Shrek or Despicable Me, the series has garnered billions over the years, and cemented itself as a beloved franchise for many fans.

Since the concept of an anthropomorphic extended family of prehistoric animals banding together to take care of each another eons before our own is one that has an almost universal appeal, it perhaps isn't that surprising to note the film franchise has continued for several decades at this point, and has spawned a number of movies, shows, games, and just about every tie-in possible in between.

Given the franchise's success, though, it is interesting to note that the relative lack of high-profile updates or promotional material for the next film in Ice Age's movie roster means that many people are unaware that we have a confirmed release date for the franchise's next film that isn't all that far away in the big scheme of things, especially given how long fans have already waited for another addition to the main movie series.

The Next Ice Age Movie Already Has An Impending Release Date

While it hasn't yet come on the radar for many because of both the timing of its release date and its current relative lack of promotion, Ice Age: Boiling Point is already scheduled for its debut, meaning the clock is officially counting down for the film to hit theaters.

The franchise's next movie is currently scheduled to be released on February 5, 2027, following Ice Age: Boiling Point being moved back from its previous release date of December 18, 2026. While this does mean the film will release months later than previously planned, this also bodes well for Ice Age: Boiling Point's fiscal results, since the later release date avoids the next Ice Age film having to contend with Avengers: Doomsday and Dune 3.

Ice Age: Boiling Point has been in production since November 2024, and will serve as the first mainline Ice Age movie to release in over 10 years when it does debut in 2027, given Ice Age: Collision Course released in 2016. As such, it should be decidedly interesting to see how this upcoming addition to the franchise accounts for the substantial amount of time where the franchise has gone without a film installment.

Ice Age Getting To Its Seventh Movie Is A Major Move For The Animated Franchise

The first Ice Age movie released all the way back in 2002, meaning the franchise will come into its 25th year of releasing films with the upcoming debut of Ice Age: Boiling Point in 2027. Much has changed about both the series and the world of animation and movies since then, setting the stage for the 2027 film's debut to be a chance to show how far the series has come since its very first release.

It's also worth noting that Ice Age: Boiling Point is the first theatrical Ice Age film to be produced by a studio other than Blue Sky Studios, as a result of its closure back in 2021, meaning the 2027 film will also be intriguing in terms of whether it's able to live up to previous installments now the series is in newer hands.

Altogether, Ice Age's sixth mainline movie - and seven full-length movie altogether, if you also count The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild - comes at a particularly crucial part of the franchise's real-life timeline, and one that may decide whether one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time can continue to amass more than its current $6.4 billion record in the years to come.