A new Ice Age film arrives on Disney Plus this weekend – with Simon Pegg’s character Buckminster “Buck” Wild this time taking on the title role.
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild sees the titular one-eyed weasel acting as a guardian of sorts to intrepid possum pair Crash and Eddie, as they face off against an evil triceratops named Orson.
And speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Pegg said that the film will let audiences see a rather different side to the character – who has grown up a bit between this film and the previous entry in the franchise.
“Buck has to sort of take on the responsibility of a parent, really,” he explained. “Which he never was in the herd. He was always like a fun uncle – Uncle Buck, if you will – and now he’s more like the dad because Crash and Eddie are the eternal children.
“So playing out that dynamic was fun because it was a sort of different side to the Buck character.”
One of the other big changes for Buck is that he’s got a new female friend – who goes by the name Zee – and Pegg believes this has also contributed to a new, more grown-up version of the character.
“Zee is a great character because she’s a real match for Buck,” he said. “She’s a sort of female counterpart to Buck. She’s as resourceful, as brave – everything Buck would be attracted to, I think.
“I mean, they’re not really girlfriend and boyfriend, but there’s certainly a relationship there. But something went wrong in that dynamic over that time, and it’s probably because Buck feels like he should be on his own, he feels like he shouldn’t rely on other people.
“And Zee is they’re saying, ‘Look, you know, it’s OK to do that.’ And I think that’s one of the messages of the movie. I think it’s meaningful that Buck is a male character, I think men often do have trouble asking for help.
“And I think it’s one of the messages of the film that it’s not only OK to ask for help, but it’s OK to ask for help from your female friends and family members as well.
“That and the whole idea of what it’s like to leave home, and how you feel about leaving home and how the people left behind feel about you leaving home. They are all core messages in this movie, which I think speak to the kind of family dynamic that’s always defined Ice Age.”
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is streaming on Disney Plus now – sign up to Disney Plus now for £79.90 for a year or £7.99 a month.
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