Blue Sky Studios Gives Scrat a Proper Sendoff in Final Farewell

April 15, 2022 11:54 AM

It has somehow been 20 years since audiences first witnessed the adventures of Manny, Sid, Diego, and all the rest of the Ice Age crew. Throughout all that time, Scrat the saber-toothed squirrel has been searching across all of creation for a place to keep his acorn safe. Blue Sky Studios is the team behind Ice Age, but it has gone extinct thanks to the recent megamerger of Disney and 20th Century Fox. As a brief goodbye from the artists that brought this franchise to life, Blue Sky posted a brief animation of the popular squirrel finally securing the acorn and eating it.

From the Youtube link above:
"In the final days of Blue Sky Studios, a small team of artists came together to do one final shot. This shot is a farewell, a send-off on our own terms."

Disney canceled all production on Blue Sky projects alongside the studio’s closure but seems intent on continuing the Ice Age franchise in their own way. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild premiered on Disney+ this past January, spinning off Simon Pegg’s character from prior films as the main star.

posted by cynical pinnacle (17 comments total)

It's understandable that Disney didn't want to run three computer animation studios (they already own Pixar and also have their own computer animation division) but Blue Sky will be missed. They did some great work in the field. Their Academy Award winning short "Bunny" is worth a view if you haven't seen it already. It's not only a great story but also was quite technically advanced for its day: it was the first CGI film to use radiosity for realistic light rendering, which it takes full advantage of.
posted by kindall at 12:19 PM on April 15, 2022 [6 favorites]

No comment from Wile E. Coyote yet?
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 1:19 PM on April 15, 2022

Awww, I am glad he finally got some closure.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:21 PM on April 15, 2022 [2 favorites]

You know…. good. It’s nice to see the resolution of one story (real or otherwise) that’s gotten in the brainmesh. So much of life doesn’t give us that. Nothing spectacular about the short, but it felt good in my heart.
posted by Silvery Fish at 1:22 PM on April 15, 2022 [9 favorites]

It's understandable that Disney didn't want to run three computer animation studios (they already own Pixar and also have their own computer animation division) but Blue Sky will be missed.

Except that there's evidence that the decision was driven by pushback by Disney leadership over LGBT themes in the then in-development Nimona film.

It's becoming pretty clear that Chapek needs to be handed his walking papers.
posted by NoxAeternum at 1:53 PM on April 15, 2022 [4 favorites]

I am very happy for that squirrel. I am pleased the team took the opportunity to do right by him, in a situation where they were not getting an ending they deserved.
posted by the primroses were over at 2:00 PM on April 15, 2022 [3 favorites]

I won't take credit for the joke but I did see one comment that said "wouldn't it be funny if Scrat had a nut allergy?"
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:10 PM on April 15, 2022 [4 favorites]

the then in-development Nimona film.

Good news, everyone! Nimona will be finished by Netflix.
posted by hippybear at 2:25 PM on April 15, 2022 [5 favorites]

So look, I hated those movies -- found them noisy and stupid, frankly, with a clear decline in quality as the series progressed -- but I also have a kid who was precisely the correct age(s) when they came out, so we saw them all, and he certainly loved them. Shared this clip with him and we had a little bonding moment, so that was nice.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:33 PM on April 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

'No comment from Wile E. Coyote yet?'...sometimes closure doesn't really pan out.
posted by BozoBurgerBonanza at 3:38 PM on April 15, 2022 [2 favorites]

I hated those movies -- found them noisy and stupid, frankly, with a clear decline in quality as the series progressed

The first one was good, but after that the only bright spot was Peter Dinklage's performance as the pirate ape in the 4th movie (which I only watched because Dinklage was in it).
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:49 PM on April 15, 2022

Apparently the last Blue Sky feature was Spies in Disguise, which is a favorite of our 6 year old (and us).
posted by HeroZero at 5:22 PM on April 15, 2022

Shared this clip with him and we had a little bonding moment, so that was nice.

One of our formerly little’uns flagged this closure clip to us a couple of days ago; felt sweet that he felt the anecdotal connection, too ;-)
posted by progosk at 11:41 PM on April 15, 2022

It's understandable that Disney didn't want to run three computer animation studios

Then why the hell did they buy Blue Sky Studios in the first place?
posted by ymgve at 9:06 AM on April 17, 2022

Because Blue Sky was part of the massive Fox purchase.
posted by NoxAeternum at 9:09 AM on April 17, 2022 [1 favorite]

Which, if the SEC actually did much of anything, wouldn't have gone through. But that's another thread.
posted by aspersioncast at 5:36 AM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]

Bummer. I once booked a life modeling date with them and had to cancel.

Now I'll never get to model for them. :(
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:39 AM on April 25, 2022