Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lopez And More Added To Ice Age 4 Cast

When Jeremy Renner was cast as the lead in The Bourne Legacy last week, I was surprised not only because it will be his third on-going franchise, but because I learned that he is 40 years old. Not only could he pass for being in his late 20s-early 30s, but it's amazing that it's taken this long for him to get the notice he deserves. As a result, it's understandable that he would want to start taking on as many projects as he can. Fortunately, this one only requires him to stand in a sound booth for a few hours.

THR reports that Renner, Jennifer Lopez, Wanda Sykes, Keke Palmer, Aziz Ansari And hip-hop star Drake have all been added to the cast of Ice Age: Continental Drift, the third sequel in the long running series. The story also says Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott and Josh Peck will all be back to reprise their roles from the previous films. While character details have not been released for all of the new actors, Renner will be playing " Gutt, a self-styled master of the high seas" (it doesn't say what kind of animal), while Lopez will play Shira, a sabretooth tiger who will serve as a romantic interest for Diego, Leary's character. The film is scheduled to be released on July 13, 2012.

Much like the Shrek franchise before it, the Ice Age movies have been getting worse and worse with each sequel, so I wonder if this is the one that finally drives it straight into the ground. Considering that it seems as though they're adding six new characters to an over-crowded cast, I'd say that it's a safe bet.

Eric Eisenberg
Assistant Managing Editor

NJ native who calls LA home and lives in a Dreamatorium. A decade-plus CinemaBlend veteran who is endlessly enthusiastic about the career he’s dreamt of since seventh grade.