BEIJING, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Animated film "Ice Age 4: Continental Drift" will be screened on the Chinese mainland on July 27 in 3D.

The film, the fourth installment of the "Ice Age" franchise, has earned more than 500 million U.S. dollars around the world since it was debuted in north America on July 13.

The 20th Century Fox film stars the franchise's four main protagonists (Manny, Sid, Diego and Scrat) but takes place in an ocean environment.

The "Ice Age" franchise has earned 2.2 billion U.S. dollars in box office sales worldwide since the first film debuted a decade ago. The 2009 sequel "Ice Age 3" took in 14 million U.S. dollars in China within just two weeks, making it the highest earning 3D film at that time.