Meet the new members of 'Ice Age' family

At the end of "Ice Age," Manny, Sid, Diego had come together to form a family, albeit a dysfunctional one. In ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN, the stakes are raised as the trio meets new characters - who may join them to create a new, larger family.

As Manny wrestles with the idea that he's the last mammoth on earth, he meets Ellie, a female woolly mammoth. Now that he's finally met a female mammoth, nothing can stand in the way of true love - except, perhaps, the fact that Ellie has identity issues: she thinks she's a possum. According to Lori Forte, that creates an interesting and fun dynamic between the two characters. "You couldn't just have Manny and Ellie come together and have them fall in love right away," she points out. "The more conflict there is, the funnier it is."

In casting Ellie, the filmmakers searched for a voice that was rich with personality - not just an actress with a big personality. "We had to consider how she would sound opposite Ray Romano," says (director) Saldanha. "In addition, we wanted someone with a voice that had strength, independence, empathy and humor. Queen Latifah embodied all these qualities."

Latifah, who makes her animated feature film debut in ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN, enjoyed exploring Ellie's "complications." "Ellie is just the sweetest, lovable lump that you've ever seen. But she's well she's a little strange. A little aloof. And a little confused about her identity. You see, Ellie thinks she's a possum. But she's really a woolly mammoth. That's real confusion!"

The actress/musician has had several on-screen romances, but none compare to the stakes in Ellie's relationship with Manny. "Manny thinks he's the last woolly mammoth on earth, until he meets Ellie," she explains. "There's a potential to save the species, if only Ellie would realize who she is: a mammoth, and not a possum."

Latifah says her background as a hip-hop artist was a big factor in helping her create a voice performance for Ellie. "I think one of the reasons I enjoyed working on this film was because of the innate vocal rhythm I have as a musician. You catch things off that rhythm and you hear things a bit differently. So it was interesting for me to get Ellie's vocal inflections and make sure they worked for the character."

Joining Ellie on her journey are her two "brothers," possums Crash and Eddie. They are wild and crazy - daredevils and pranksters - whose charm comes out of their love for and protectiveness toward their sister Ellie. Seann William Scott, who starred as the incorrigible 'Stiffler' in the "American Pie" trilogy, voices Crash, and Josh Peck, from Nickelodeon's hit series "Josh and Drake," voices Eddie.

Saldanha says that, individually, Scott and Peck are "free spirited, funny, and high-energy actors. Together, they produced magic," which Saldanha captured by putting them together in the recording booth - a rarity in animated feature filmmaking. "Crash and Eddie will try any stunt - the crazier, the better," says Saldanha.

Seann William Scott had not yet seen "Ice Age" when he committed to ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN. But when he did catch up with the film, he was hooked. "The ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN script was fun and I was looking forward to being a part of it," he says. "But when I saw 'Ice Age' on DVD, it took the experience to a whole new level."

Josh Peck is another "Ice Age" fan. "I loved how the emotions and character expressions came across in the film," he says. "Watching it was like spending time with your best friends." Peck likens Eddie to a high-energy teenager. Still, he's less intense than older brother Crash. "Of the two," adds Peck, "Eddie's the voice of reason, but he's still a stunt devil who likes to have a good time - and take care of his sister."

The film's principals are supported by a menagerie of colorful villainous characters. Fast Tony, an armadillo voiced by late night talk show king Jay Leno, is a slick con artist who warns the valley creatures of the impending flood - and does everything he can to make a buck out of it. "I had a great time voicing Fast Tony," relates Leno. "He has the amazing energy - and scruples - of a high-powered used car salesman. He'll take anything, even a potential cataclysm, and use it to his advantage."

Leno, a renowned stand-up comedian as well as talk show titan, likens the process of voicing an animated character to doing stand-up. "In both, you're trying to make people laugh, using only your voice. If [voicing a character] was modern interpretative dance, I'd be in trouble," he jokes. "But as a comic who's used to being on stage, projecting, and making funny noises - I could handle the work on ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN."

A second ice age comes when ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN opens in theaters this March from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.