While he seems to be loading his schedule with high profile projects recently, Jeremy Renner is also finding time to have a little fun, agreeing to voice a character in the fourth I****ce Age outing, Continental Drift. And he’s not alone: Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer, Wanda Sykes, Aziz Ansari and hip-hop singer Drake are also aboard.
Though most of the new characters weren’t revealed at a meeting for likely promotional partners at 20th Century Fox. Renner’s playing Gutt, described by the Hollywood Reporter as “a self-styled master of the high seas.” Lopez is Shira, a sexy sabre tooth who wins the heart of Denis Leary’s Diego.
The new arrivals are joining the established ensemble, which includes Leary, John Leguizamo, Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott and Josh Peck.
You can see the appeal of the Ice Age movies – not only has the trilogy released to date earned nearly $2 billion, but it’s a fairly swift gig for most of the cast, with just a few recording sessions spread out over several months. Plus Fox and Blue Sky are clearly happy to keep going back to the well – the companies are planning a Christmas TV special and tie-in games for both mobile devices and the ‘net.
Ice Age: Continental Drift itself is out on July 6 next year.