Jennifer Lopez, Jeremy Renner and More Will Get Animated in Ice Age: Continental Drift

Fox's Ice Age franchise is getting some new voices for its fourth installment, next summer's Ice Age: Continental Drift. Among them: A hip-hop star, an American Idol judge, two comedians, and your future Bourne, who will mingle with the beloved returning heroes of the previous three Ice Age films in the July 2012 sequel. What adventures await in the fourth installment of the popular animated series?

The fourquel catches up with Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), and Diego (Denis Leary), Ellie (Queen Latifah), Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck) -- as well as the nut-obsessed Scrat, of course -- after shifting ice floes separate their group. Adrift on an iceberg, Manny, Sid, and Diego meet new friends and foes. Of course! From Deadline's report:

New to the cast are Jeremy Renner, who will portray Gutt; Wanda Sykes as Granny; Aziz Ansari is Walter; Keke Palmer is Peaches; hip hop star Drake is Ethan; and Jennifer Lopez is Shira, a snow leopard (which falls under that overall Fox deal she made to be a judge on American Idol).

(For what it's worth, a conflicting THR report cites Shira as a sabre-toothed tiger.)

Ice Age: Continental Drift opens July 13, 2012. Fox also announced plans to release a Christmas television special (Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas), video games, and -- wait for it -- an Ice Age on Ice ice-skating show! Mammoths on skates! Can't wait.

· Jennifer Lopez, Jeremy Renner, Wanda Sykes, & Drake Join Cast Of 2012 'Ice Age' [Deadline]