Ice Age 2 Age: How Old Is the Movie? Facts & Rating
Ice Age 2 — officially titled Ice Age: The Meltdown — is 20 years old in 2026, having been released in US theaters on March 31, 2006. The Blue Sky Studios animated sequel turned four years of audience goodwill from the original Ice Age (2002) into one of the biggest family box-office hits of the 2000s, and two decades later it remains a defining title of the modern animation boom.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Title | Ice Age: The Meltdown (also known as Ice Age 2) |
| Released / Age | March 31, 2006 / 20 years old |
| Studio | Blue Sky Studios / 20th Century Fox |
| Director | Carlos Saldanha |
| Runtime | 91 minutes |
| Budget | $80 million (estimated) |
| Box Office | $660.9 million worldwide |
| Age Rating | PG (some mild language and innuendo) |
| Known For | Manny, Sid, Diego; introduction of Ellie |
When Was Ice Age 2 Released?
Ice Age: The Meltdown premiered in US theaters on March 31, 2006, in a wide release by 20th Century Fox. International rollouts followed through April — France on April 5, Germany on April 6, and Italy on April 21, among others. Directed by Carlos Saldanha, produced by Lori Forte, and written by Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow, and Jon Vitti, with music by John Powell, it was the second installment in the Ice Age franchise and one of Blue Sky's flagship productions of the decade.
That makes the film exactly 20 years old as of March 31, 2026 — older, in fact, than a large share of its current streaming audience. The DVD arrived later that same year, in November 2006, cementing its long afterlife in home entertainment.
What Is the Age Rating for Ice Age 2?
Ice Age: The Meltdown is rated PG in the United States. The Motion Picture Association's rating cites "some mild language and innuendo," a label shared by most family animated comedies of the era. It is widely considered suitable for young children, and the franchise's enduring popularity with preschool and early-elementary audiences — the same demographic that fuels stars like Ms Rachel and Blippi — has kept it in heavy rotation on streaming and television for two decades.
Box Office: One of the Biggest Animated Hits of Its Era
On an estimated $80 million budget, Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed $660.9 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo — $195.3 million domestically and $465.6 million internationally. Its $68 million domestic opening weekend was enormous for 2006, and the film finished as one of the year's top-grossing movies globally.
For perspective, the sequel more than tripled the original Ice Age's $383 million worldwide gross, proving the franchise had become a genuine event brand. The worldwide total was roughly 8.7 times its production budget, an extraordinary return that greenlit the entire franchise to come.
The Story and the Characters
The film picks up with Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), and Diego (Denis Leary) — now a settled herd — facing the end of the ice age itself: the melting ice threatens their valley with a catastrophic flood, forcing a journey to higher ground. Along the way, the group is joined by Ellie (Queen Latifah), a female woolly mammoth who believes she is an opossum, along with her possum "brothers" Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck).
Ellie became the franchise's most important addition: her romance with Manny anchored the emotional throughline of the sequels. And Scrat, the acorn-obsessed saber-toothed squirrel, returned with his wordless slapstick set pieces — the character would go on to become the series' breakout icon.
Cast and Voice Performances
The core voice cast carried over from the 2002 original, with Ray Romano's world-weary Manny, John Leguizamo's hyperactive Sid, and Denis Leary's dryly sarcastic Diego giving the sequel its familiar comic rhythm. Queen Latifah's Ellie brought warmth and a new romantic dynamic, while Seann William Scott and Josh Peck added manic energy as the possum duo.
The film's vocal performances are a big part of why it has aged well: unlike celebrity stunt-casting that dates quickly, the Ice Age leads were cast for character fit, and their chemistry deepened across the franchise. Adam Sandler, another comedy star who built a parallel career in animated voice work, shows the same playbook in action.
Critical Reception Then and Now
Ice Age: The Meltdown received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics — it holds 56% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.8/10 on IMDb — but was warmly received by general audiences, a split that has characterized much of the franchise. Critics found it formulaic next to Pixar's output of the era; families simply showed up, repeatedly.
Twenty years on, the film's reputation has settled into comfortable nostalgia. It is remembered less as a landmark of animation craft than as a perfectly calibrated piece of 2000s family entertainment — and as the installment that turned Ice Age from a single hit into a multi-billion-dollar franchise.
The Franchise It Launched
The Meltdown was followed by Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Continental Drift (2012), Collision Course (2016), and The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022), plus the Scrat Tales shorts. Across six films, the series has grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, making it one of the most successful animated franchises ever — all of it built on the foundation of this 2006 sequel.
Ice Age 2 by the Numbers
A closer look at the film's commercial footprint shows just how big a hit it was:
- Opening weekend: $68 million domestic across 3,964 theaters (March 31–April 2, 2006)
- Domestic gross: $195.3 million
- International gross: $465.6 million
- Worldwide gross: $660.9 million (Box Office Mojo)
- Production budget: approximately $80 million
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Multiple: worldwide gross was roughly 8.7 times the production budget
The international performance was the real story: more than 70% of the total came from overseas markets, with Germany ($61.6 million), France ($48.4 million), and Italy ($26 million) among the standouts. That global profile is what turned a successful sequel into a franchise — studios greenlight follow-ups on worldwide multiples, and The Meltdown's numbers demanded them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ice Age 2 in 2026?
Ice Age 2 (Ice Age: The Meltdown) is 20 years old in 2026. It was released in US theaters on March 31, 2006, and turned 20 on March 31, 2026.
When was Ice Age 2 released?
Ice Age: The Meltdown was released theatrically in the United States on March 31, 2006, by 20th Century Fox. International releases followed through April 2006, and the DVD arrived in November 2006.
What is Ice Age 2 rated?
Ice Age 2 is rated PG for some mild language and innuendo, according to the Motion Picture Association. It is considered suitable for young children and remains popular family viewing.
How much money did Ice Age 2 make?
Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed $660.9 million worldwide on an estimated $80 million budget — $195.3 million domestically and $465.6 million internationally, per Box Office Mojo. It was one of the highest-grossing films of 2006.
Who are the main characters in Ice Age 2?
The main characters are Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo), Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary), and newcomers Ellie the mammoth (Queen Latifah) and possums Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck). Scrat the squirrel returns in his own subplot.
Is Ice Age 2 appropriate for toddlers?
Yes — Ice Age 2's PG rating reflects only mild language and innuendo. Its slapstick humor and colorful animation make it suitable for young children, and it is a staple of family viewing alongside other kids' favorites from creators like Diana and Roma.
