Saldanha’s “Rio 2” Breaks Animated Film Records in Brazil

Carlos Saldanha has plenty of reason to get animated…

The 49-year-old Brazilian animated film director’s latest project Rio 2, the sequel to 2011’s beloved film Rio, has made history in Brazil.

Carlos Saldanha

The film had the biggest opening ever for an animated film in the South American country.

The Blue Sky Studios project from Saldanha, who hails from the titular town, took off with $7.3 million to edge out the prior record-holder, Madagascar 3.

The film’s voice cast includes Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Bruno Mars, George Lopez, will.i.am, Rodrigo Santoro, Jake T. Austin, Bebel Gilberto, Andy Garcia, Rita Moreno, Kristin Chenowith, Natalie Morales and Janelle Monáe.

Rio 2 will be released in the United States on April 11.

Saldanha to Receive CinemaCon’s International Filmmaker of the Year Award

Carlos Saldanha will be getting plenty of love at this year’s CinemaCon

The 49-year-old Brazilian director of animated films will receive the international filmmaker of the year award at this year’s edition of CinemaCon, the annual gathering of theater owners in Las Vegas.

Carlos Saldanha

This year’s convention will take place March 24-27 at Caesars Palace.

Saldanha, an Academy Award nominated filmmaker who works with Blue Sky Studios, is currently wrapping production on Rio 2, his follow up to 20th Century Fox‘s animated hit Rio.

The sequel opens in theaters April 11 and features the return of voice leads Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jermaine Clement, Leslie Mann, George Lopez, will.i.am and Jamie Foxx.

New voice additions include Andy Garcia, Bruno Mars, Kristin Chenoweth and Rita Moreno.

The Rio franchise is from Fox Animation Studios and Blue Sky Studios.

Saldanha’s other credits include Ice Age, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Robots.

Saldanha Forms BottleCap Productions

There’s a new feather in Carlos Saldanha’s (bottle) cap…

The 44-year-old Brazilian animated film director, who co-helmed Ice Age and then directed two Ice Age sequels, as well as Robots and Rio, has formed BottleCap Productions.

Carlos Saldanha

The label is Fox-based, where Saldanha made an exclusive five-year deal with 20th Century Fox and Fox International to develop live-action and animated projects.

BottleCap Productions will percolate new projects while Saldanha wraps up his directing work on Rio 2,  which is slated for release next spring for Blue Sky Studios and Fox.

After serving as catalyst for the massively successful Ice Age and Rio franchises, Saldanha is one of the most important director relationships for Fox.

His most recent, Rio, grossed more than $500 million worldwide.