Scrat's earth-changing chase in Ice Age 4

MANILA, Philippines - Two million years ago, one global-shattering event changed everything. Scrat, the world’s most lovable prehistoric squirrel-rat, is about to rewrite history in Ice Age 4: Continental Drift.

Forget what you’ve learned in geology about the continents forming as a result of massive tectonic turbulence and volcanic eruptions tearing land masses apart. Ice Age 4: Continental Drift reveals that these seismic shifts came about from Scrat’s misadventures.

The film reunites us with Scrat as he’s going about his usual business: He has grabbed the acorn, set it down on the ground — and suddenly a mountain is torn apart and the earth itself opens up, separating land masses into the seven continents. 

Scrat hurtles toward the earth’s core, triggering massive earthquakes, which in turn isolates Manny, Diego and Sid from the rest of the herd. Scrat’s continental crack-up has cast adrift Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), Diego (Dennis Leary) and Sid (John Leguizamo) from the rest of the herd, including Manny’s beloved wife Ellie (Queen Latifah) and their teenaged daughter Peaches (who was born in 2009’s Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and is voiced by music-actress Keke Palmer).

From his introduction as a breakout character in Ice Age to becoming a celebrated movie icon, Scrat has brought joy to countless moviegoers — and to the filmmakers who bring him to life. “There’s no better or more enjoyable character to animate than Scrat,” says director Steve Martino. “Who else can you knock around, smash around — and he just keeps going after that nut?!” 

Adds supervising animator Nick Bruno: “Scrat is why I’m in animation. His adventure in this movie is like a classic tale, where he sees his goal, goes after it, and gets his butt kicked. But this time, the stakes for him and for the herd couldn’t be higher.”

Meanwhile, let’s hear it from Scrat whose thoughts will only be read and heard in the Q&A that follows:

Hi Scrat. First things first. Is your acorn safe?

“Define ‘safe.’”

 Buried in a place that only you know about.

“Not exactly (fidgets).”

 Where is it right now?

“It’s within arm’s reach — well, almost.”

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift reveals that these seismic shifts came about from the misadventures of Scrat, the lovable prehistoric squirrel-rat

 Why is it so hard to hold on to your prized nut and keep it safe?

“That is a question I ask myself every day. Every hour of every day. Every minute of every hour. Every second of every minute. Every nanosecond of every second. I ask myself that question a lot.”

 Some might say your interest in acorns borders on obsession. How would you respond?

“Are you saying that I’m nuts? Oooh nuts. Mmmmm, nuts… (rubs hands together).”

What have you learned over the course of the last few years?

“A coconut is not a giant acorn. And if you roast an acorn for long enough, it will turn into a large popcorn kernel. This is not to be recommended.”

 Is it true you found a treasure map recently?

“I did!”

 What does X mark the spot of?

“A whole island filled with beautiful golden acorns! Oooooh...”

Wow. That must be very appealing to someone of your disposition. What do you think the probability of ever finding that treasure is?

“Hmmm (scratches head). Realistically? Maybe one in a hundred trillion? I’ll happily die trying though.”

Is it hard to live with yourself, knowing that your past actions have led to earthquakes, volcanoes, continental drift and global warming?

“Huh? I’m just trying to bury my nut, dude. Don’t get all heavy on me.”

 You’re one of the only living animals to have visited the earth’s core. What is it like there?

“It’s hot.”

You sound like Paris Hilton.

“Who?!”

Follow Scrat when Ice Age 4: Continental Drift opens July 12 in theaters nationwide (in 2D and 3D) from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.