'Ice Age' filmmakers discuss newest movie, 'The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- "The Ice Age Adventure of Buck Wild" is the sixth installment of the hit movie franchise that started 20 years ago, and hits theaters next week.

Producer Lori Forte and director John C. Donkin sat down with Hosea Sanders to how they keep coming up with more stories for these irresistible creatures.

This sixth movie gives them a chance to explore these characters in a more in-depth way.

"It was so gratifying to be able to take characters that we love, but we don't get the opportunity to know as well, and really focusing on their stories and watching how they change and grow, and peeling back the layers," Forte said.

And the characters are beloved for good reason.

"I think 'cause we can relate to them, whether you find which reminds you of yourself, your life or experience, or you've gone through some similar thing," Donkin posited. "Plus, they're funny, man. People like to watch and laugh with them."

There's also a message in this Buck Wild story.

"The 'Ice Age' movies always center around family and their relationships, and how they change and evolve, and ultimately how they hang together," Donkin said. "You don't have to be in the same space to feel like you're part of your family, and that's something we can all relate to right now in the pandemic."

"The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild" starts streaming on Disney+ on Friday, January 28.