Rio 2

Rio 2 is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure-comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 computer-animated film Rio and the studio's first film to have a sequel outside of their existing Ice Age franchise. The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where the first film was set and Rio 2 begins, though most of its plot occurs instead at the Amazon rainforest.

Featuring the returning voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, and Jake T. Austin, the film was released internationally on March 20, 2014^[3] and is scheduled to be released on April 11, 2014^[3] in American theaters. Rio 2 will be Don Rhymer's final film after he died on November 28, 2012.

                                         Plot

Blu, Jewel and their three kids leave their domesticated life in the city of Rio de Janeiro for a journey to the Amazon rainforest, where their owners Linda and Tulio were doing an expedition that seemingly found a hidden tribe of Spix's Macaws. On their way there, they are witnessed in Manaus by Blu and Jewel's old nemesis Nigel thecockatoo, who then decides to seek revenge on the macaws, enlisting poison dart frog Gabi and anteater Charlie as his minions. Upon arriving the Amazon, the family comes across Jewel's long-lost father, Eduardo, who is in hiding with his macaw tribe. As Blu has trouble fitting in, Nigel infiltrates the tribe, and illegal loggers kidnap Linda and Tulio on their way to reach the macaws' hideout.

                                         Cast

• Jesse Eisenberg as Tyler Blu Gunderson, a male Spix's macaw from Moose Lake^[3]
• Anne Hathaway as Jewel, a female Spix's macaw from Rio de Janeiro^[3]
• Leslie Mann as Linda Gunderson, a girl who adopted Blu for 15 years. She is Tulio's wife^[3]
• Bruno Mars^[3] as Roberto, Jewel's childhood friend^[4]
• Jemaine Clement as Nigel, an evil and sadistic sulphur-crested Cockatoo^[3]
• George Lopez as Rafael, a romantic Toco Toucan fond of Carnival^[3]
• Jamie Foxx as Nico, Pedro's close friend. He is a Yellow Canary with a bottlecap hat^[3]
• will.i.am as Pedro, a rapping Red-crested Cardinal^[3]
• Rodrigo Santoro as Tulio Monteiro, a Brazilian ornithologist and Linda's husband^[3]
• Jake T. Austin as Fernando, Linda and Tulio's adopted son^[3]
• Tracy Morgan as Luiz, a bulldog and a chainsaw expert with a drooling condition^[3]
• Bebel Gilberto as Eva, a Keel-billed Toucan and Rafael's wife^[3]
• Andy García^[3] as Eduardo, Jewel's father^[4]
• Kristin Chenoweth^[3] as Gabi, a poison dart frog and Nigel's sidekick^[4]
• Rita Moreno as Mimi, Eduardo's older sister^[3][5]
• Rachel Crow as Carla, Blu and Jewel's music-loving, older daughter^[4][3][6]
• Amandla Stenberg^[3] as Bia, Blu and Jewel's intelligent, younger daughter^[4]
• Pierce Gagnon^[3] as Tiago, Blu and Jewel's youngest, free-spirited, and only son^[4]
• Natalie Morales as a news anchor^[3][7][8]
• Janelle Monáe as a veterinarian^[9]
• Philip Lawrence as Felipe, a male Scarlet Macaw and the hostile leader of a tribe who has a rivalry and territorial dispute with the Spix's macaws.^[10]

                                        Production

On January 25, 2012, while speaking to the Associated Press, Sérgio Mendes who co-wrote a song for the first film spoke about the sequel, saying: "I think the plan is for the movie to come three or four months before the World Cup. Fox has been talking about (it) and it looks like it's going to happen. We're going to have a meeting I think next week and Carlos is coming to town to tell us the story, and it looks like it's a go."^[11] In April 2012, Deadline.com reported that Jesse Eisenberg had signed up to reprise his role as Blu,^[12] whereas Anne Hathaway had also signed on to reprise her role as Jewel.^[13] In October 2012, Variety stated that Carlos Saldanha had officially signed a five-year deal with 20th Century Fox that allows him to helm live-action and/or animated films, with the sequel being part of that contractual agreement.^[14]

Don Rhymer, screenplay writer of the first film, died on November 28, 2012 during the writing phase of the sequel, after a battle with head and neck cancer.^[15] In January 2013, Rodrigo Santoro confirmed his return to voice ornithologist Tulio Monteiro, as well as hinting that the sequel's setting will involve the Amazon.^[16] 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky unveiled the first teaser trailer at the annual Las Vegas, Nevada CinemaCon on April 18, 2013.^[17] On May 14, 2013, that same trailer was released online worldwide, and attached with Epic.^[18] Entertainer Bruno Mars joined the cast as Roberto after director Carlos Saldanha caught his performance on Saturday Night Live. During production, Mars offered his own personal touches that better shaped his character's physical appearance, personality, and voice.^[19]

                                    Marketing

Under the supervision of 20th Century Fox - with director Carlos Saldanha and music composer John Powell - the film's natural hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil used the film as a tie-in promotion for the 2014 New Year's Eve celebration at Copacabana Beach.^[20]

20 new Angry Birds Rio levels along with six bonus levels — all visually tied to Rio 2 were released on February 20, 2014, as part of the "High Dive" update.^[21]