It's not just a new Ice Age that's upon us, but a golden age of animation.

This weekend's premiere of Ice Age: The Meltdown is the first of 11 major animated features ready to roll out over the next nine months.

Calgary producer Wendy Hill-Tout is working on her first animated feature Big Bug Man. Brendan Fraser will voice the character of a man so kind he can't even kill a bug. His apartment is soon infested with bugs and he himself transforms into a superhero named Big Bug Man.

"We're in the process of casting the roles, but we do have Marlon Brando playing Mrs. Sour. He recorded the voice tracks just three days before his death," says Hill-Tout. "He said he always wanted to play a woman, so he was eager to record his lines."

The $15-million US film will be animated in Montreal and Asia and should be ready for distribution in 2008. Here's a rundown of 2006's animated films:

The Wild

To the disappointment of his dad, a little lion born in the New York zoo can't roar so he runs away to Africa. This one is Disney's version of DreamWorks' Madagascar -- complete with penguins, flamingos and hippos. (April 14)

Over The Hedge

Bruce Willis is RJ, a mischievous raccoon who rallies his wilderness buddies to try to stop suburbia from encroaching on their natural world. William Shatner plays Ozzie the possum with Avril Lavigne giving voice to his daughter Heather. (May 19)

Cars

In Pixar's newest animated comedy, Owen Wilson plays Lightning McQueen, a self-important hot-shot racing car who learns some important life lessons about responsibility and friendship when he gets stranded in a hick town called Radiator Springs. Race-car enthusiast Paul Newman plays the wise old Doc Hudson, with Michael Keaton, Bonnie Hunt and Cheech Marin as fellow Radiator Springs inhabitants. (June 9)

Monster House

Three teens voiced by Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner and Spencer Locke discover the house down the block is actually a living, breathing monster. Steve Buscemi, Kevin James and Jason Lee provide some of the celebrity voices. (July 21)

Ant Bully

A boy floods an ant colony with his water gun. He is shrunk to the size of an insect and sentenced to hard labour repairing the colony. Voices include Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Meryl Streep and Nicolas Cage. (August 4)

Open Season

This one is being called Boyz 'n the Wood as Boog the grizzly bear (Martin Lawrence) vows to help his deer and dear friend Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) survive hunting season. (September 29)

Barnyard

When the farmer is away, it's not just the mice who start to play. All the animals in the barnyard throw caution to the wind and start singing and dancing up a storm, creating havoc that could put them all in jeopardy. (October 6)

Flushed Away

Hugh Jackman is Roddy the uptown London rat, who gets flushed down the toilet of his penthouse and must seek the help of Rita, the downtown rat, to get him home again. (November 3)

Happy Feet

The Aussies get into the animation act with this musical comedy about a penguin who can't sing, but can dance and hopes to parlay that skill into a courting ritual. Aussies Nicole Kidman and Jackman are joined by Americans Robin Williams and Elijah Wood. (November 17)

Arthur and the Minimoys

Luc Besson directs this tale of a young boy (Freddie Highmore) who visits the land of the elfish Minimoys in hopes of finding treasure. David Bowie, Snoop Dogg and Madonna are among the celebrities who give vocal life to the Minimoys. (December 25)