Bruno Mars Agrees to Star in a Future Disney Feature

Bruno Marsis ready for his close-up…

Following months of talks, Disney has set a deal with the 34-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer to develop a music-themed theatrical narrative feature that Mars will star in and produce. 

Bruno Mars

The plot is being kept under wraps, but will reportedly consist of mostly original music that Mars will write and perform.

Mars previously appeared in Honeymoon in Vegasand was a featured voice in Rio 2

Mars has won 11 Grammys, and has sold more than 200 million singles worldwide, establishing him as one of the bestselling artists of all time. He swept the 60th Grammys, winning six trophies including the “Big 3” — Album of the YearRecord of the Year, and Song of the Year. A two-time Super Bowlhalftime performer, Mars has had more No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100than any other male artist in the last decade. 

Mars previously showed his charismatic and exceptionally versatile acting chops as a host on Saturday Night Liveseveral years ago. 

Carlos Saldanha Receives Variety’s Creative Impact in Animation Award

Carlos Saldanha is being heralded for his creative impact

The 52-year-old Brazilian director, producer and animator has been recognized with Variety’s Creative Impact in Animation award.

Carlos Saldanha

Saldanha has become one of the most successful tellers of animated stories of all time. His credits include Ice Age: The Meltdown, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Rio and Rio 2, while he co-directed Ice Age and Robots. He’s Blue Sky Animation Studio’s secret weapon, having unleashed a string of worldwide blockbusters that have grossed more than $3 billion.

Saldanha even has Oscar cred with a nomimation for 2003’s animated short Gone Nutty, and an exclusive deal at Fox, where his BottleCap Productions calls home.

Growing up in Rio de Janeiro afforded Saldanha with a unique perspective of the world, and in particular, how it would come to shape his animation and filmmaking instincts and aesthetic.

“I was always a film buff,” Saldanha recalls. “Movies were always very special to me, but I never knew how to accomplish my goals. Blade Runner is my favorite film and I’ve seen it 20 times at least. I find it inspiring. So I went to college for computer science, but I was always very artistic. A friend showed me one of John Lasseter’s early CGI-animated shorts, and I was hooked, because this was how to bridge the elements together.”

The Ice Age franchise has cemented itself as one of the most popular in the medium, and Saldanha knows that he’s crossed over into something larger, capturing the imaginations of children (and adults) around the world, especially with the saber-toothed squirrel Scrat, which has become the official mascot of Blue Sky Studios.

“When you’re a part of something that becomes that big for so many people, especially children, you can’t help but feel proud. Scrat was something unique to the creative process, in that he wasn’t originally defined in the script. He was an organic character who took shape as a result of creative group think. So it’s very special that he’s become so embraced, and it felt very natural for Scrat to become an integral part of Blue Sky,” Saldanha says. “We all loved those little noises he makes!”

Saldanha’s relationship with fellow filmmaker and Blue Sky head Chris Wedge has been instrumental to his career. “Chris is a visionary and working with him has been a tremendous experience,” Saldanha says. “We’re interested in telling relatable stories in an exciting and fresh way, and Chris brings a great attitude to the creative process.”

Following up the huge success of 2002’s Ice Age would prove to be interesting for Saldanha, who helped to craft 2005’s Robots, calling it a “transitional film for me, moving out of the Ice Age’world, and getting involved in something new. And that’s what we love to do, we love building worlds within our films. And with Robots, we got to do something a bit unique with the characters and setting.”

The two Rio films clearly mean a lot to Saldanha, who says he was “thrilled to infuse my Brazilian heritage into the film, and it was a big goal for me to show the city of Rio de Janeiro in a very colorful and bright fashion. These were projects that were very close to me on a personal level, so to be able to craft them in the way that we did, it was a joyous experience. It was very important for worldwide audiences to embrace these films. I wanted to create a mood and tone with no boundaries and a free spirit approach to the storytelling. This was a true passion project.”

Saldanha’s newest project, the animated adventure Ferdinand, hits screens December 15. It’s based on the classic children’s book The Story of Ferdinand, about a Spanish bull that would rather stop and smell the roses than participate in bullish activities. John Cena voices the title character, with Kate McKinnon, Gina Rodriguez and Daveed Diggs among the other voice-over artists.

“We’re currently halfway through animation and it’s coming along fantastic. We’re so thrilled for people to see it as we’re having so much fun working on this particular story,” Saldanha says. He adds there will be a “wonderful musical component to the film,” as he’s again collaborating with favored film composer John Powell. “We really wanted to capture the richness of Spain, with vibrant and bold colors, so that the audience can really feel the atmosphere. And with John doing the score again for us, we’ll have something really special for the audience. We extended the original book but we retained what’s essential to the core story of a big bull with a really big heart.”

Saldanha was also asked to participate in the 2014 anthology film Rio, I Love You, with other celebrated filmmakers including Jose Padilha, Fernando Meirelles, Paolo Sorrentino and Guillermo Arriaga. “I had such a great time doing my short for Rio, I Love You,” Saldanha says. “I did it to test the waters, and I’m excited about tackling a live-action project in the future. I’m not sure what it’ll be exactly, but I love to challenge myself and keep things fresh. But I’ll never leave animation behind. That’s where my heart is.”

Lopez to Star in the Holiday-Themed Film “Aloha Santa”

George Lopez is preparing for a Hawaiian holiday…

The 54-year-old Mexican American comedian/actor will star in Aloha Santa, a holiday-themed film set to begin production in Maui in December.

George Lopez

Lopez will portray Chris Cringle, the lazy, immature adopted son of Santa who inherits the Santa Claus role when his father dies. Lacking confidence in his role, he ends up crash-landing in Hawaii when he takes the sleigh out for a test drive days before Christmas. Now he must find a way home in time to make the annual gift deliveries.

Billed as Hawaii’s first Christmas movie, it’s directed by Jonathan Yudis, who co-wrote the film with Adam “Tex” Davis and Mike Davis.

Lopez most recently appeared in the film Spare Parts and voiced the character of Rafael in Rio 2. His other credits include The Smurfs 2, Escape from Planet Earth and the television series Saint George.

Mendes Invited to Join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Sergio Mendes will soon be an Oscar voter…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended invitations to join the organization to 322 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures, including the 74-year-old Brazilian musician.

Sergio Mendes

Mendes was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2012 as co-writer of the song “Real In Rio” from the animated film Rio.

Mendes, who has over 55 releases and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk, also lent his talents to the Rio 2 soundtrack.

In addition to Mendes, this year’s class includes Fernando Trueba.

The 60-year-old Spanish filmmaker won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with Belle Époque in 1994.

He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 84th Academy Awards. It’s the first nomination for a Spanish full-length animated film.

Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2015.

New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception in September.

Here’s a look at the Latino invitees in 2015:

Casting Directors
Luis San Narciso – “The Skin I Live In,” “The Sea Inside”

Directors
Fernando Trueba – “Chico & Rita,” “Belle Epoque”

Documentary
João Moreira Salles – “Santiago,” “Entreatos (Intermissions)”

Makeup Artists and Hairstylists
Johnny Villanueva – “The Gambler,” “The Fighter”

Music
Sergio Mendes – “Rio 2,” “Rio”

Sound
Odin Benitez – “Frozen,” “Silver Linings Playbook”
Martín Hernández – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful”
Thomas Varga – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Immigrant”

Visual Effects
Edwin Rivera – “22 Jump Street,” “Moneyball”

Writers
Armando Bo – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful”
Álex de la Iglesia – “El Crimen Perfecto,” “The Day of the Beast”
Jorge Guerricaechevarría – “Cell 211,” “The Day of the Beast”

Falcão Among the Industry Professionals Speaking at This Year’s RioMarket

Renato Falcão is ready to talk shop…

The Brazilian filmmaker, a noted cinematographer, producer and director, is among the industry professionals set to speak at RioMarket, the biggest event of the Latin American audiovisual industry hosted by the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival.

Renato Falcão

Falcão, best known as the cinematographer on the blockbuster hit animated films Rio, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Epic and Rio 2, has been invited to discuss the current state of the business at the event, which kicked off on Wednesday.

With a renewed format — dividing its TV and film focuses in separate stints — the RioMarket program includes over 40 discussion panels and seven workshops, gathering more than 200 experts in production, costume design, sound, animation, marketing and other areas.

Other international guests and lecturers this year will be costume designer Janie Bryant (Mad Men), screenwriter Marc Halsey (The Carrie Diaries) and producer Andrew Meyer, among many others in a heavy contingent of Hollywood producers and sales agents looking for the latest Latin American productions.

Brazil’s growing television industry is demanding more local content, as networks need to meet the percentages of locally produced shows that became mandatory by law two years ago. Also, President Dilma Rousseff announced earlier this year a funding package of $540 million to be poured into production, distribution and exhibition. Most of these film projects and formats will be offered to co-producers, sales agents and distributors through RioMarket sections Rio Screenings, One-to-One meetings and FilmShow.

Santoro to Star in the Indie Drama “Dominion”

Rodrigo Santoro is ready to establish a little dominion of his own…

The 38-year-old Brazilian actor has signed on to star in the indie drama Dominion.

Rodrigo Santoro

The film, which also stars John Malkovich and Rhys Ifans, is based on the last day of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas’ short life at the White Horse Tavern in New York. Thomas died at the age of 39 of pneumonia but was a voracious drinker.

The film is being shot in black and white by Steven Bernstein, the cinematographer on Monsterand Like Water for Chocolate, from his own script.

Santoro, who reprised his role as Xerxes in this year’s 300: Rise of an Empire and was the voice of Tulio in Rio 2, will portray the bartender at the White Horse, a pivotal role as a character who continues to communicate with Thomas throughout the film. Diego Luna was previously linked to the role.

The tavern, which opened in 1880, became a well-known Bohemian hangout in New York in Greenwich Village in the 1950s and is still a going concern on Hudson and 11th St.

“It’s not a biopic at all, but rather a testament to the man and his legacy,” says producer Richard Gladstein.

Santoro will next star alongside Will Smith and Margot Robbie in the heist movie Focus and just wrapped The 33, the film about the Chilean miners.

Garcia to Star in the Live-Action Film “Max Steel,” based on Mattel’s Toy Line

Andy Garcia will probably enjoy his latest project is to the max

The 58-year-old Cuban actor has joined the cast of Max Steel, Dolphin Films’ live-action film based on the Mattel toy line.

Andy Garcia

The story centers on teenager Max McGrath (portrayed Ben Winchell) and his alien companion Steel, who combine special turbo-energy powers to become the superhero Max Steel.

Garcia will portray Dr. Miles Edwards, a brilliant and mysterious scientist, in the film, which will also star Latina actress Ana Villafané.

Garcia, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Godfather Part III, most recently appeared in Rob The Mob and has a voice role in Rio 2.

He’ll next appear on the big screen in Let’s Be Cops and Kill the Messenger.

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.

Mars Perfoms “Welcome Back” on “Rio 2” Soundtrack

Bruno Mars isn’t just voicing a character in Rio 2… He’s also performing a single on the animated film’s soundtrack.

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer performs the track “Welcome Back” on Rio: Music From the Motion Picture, which will be released by Atlantic Records.

Bruno MarsBruno Mars

In addition to Mars’ single, the soundtrack to the animated musical comedy will include musical numbers from Grammy winner Janelle Monáe; Barbatuques, Andy Garcia and Rita Moreno; and Carlinhos Brown and Nina De Freitas.

It will also include songs from the voice cast, including Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, Kristin Chenoweth and Jesse Eisenberg

Rio: Music From the Motion Picture will be available March 25.

Rio 2

The family-friendly feature returns to Brazil ahead of this summer’s World Cup, with Hathaway, Eisenberg, Foxx and will.i.am reprising their roles as a few of Rio’s colorful feathered inhabitants.

New additions include The X Factor finalist Rachel Crow and NBC Today show news anchor and South American native Natalie Morales.

The story will follow Blu (Eisenberg), a neurotic blue macaw, and Jewel (Hathaway), his free-spirited mate, as well as their three kids. The conflict of the film arises when Jewel expresses her desire to raise the chicks in the Amazon as “real birds” rather than in their current domesticated environment.

Rio 2 hits theaters April 11.

Here’s the complete track listing:

  1. “What Is Love” by Janelle Monae
  2. “Rio Rio” by Ester Dean feat. B.O.B.
  3. “Beautiful Creatures” by Barbatuques, Andy Garcia and Rita Moreno
  4. “Welcome Back” by Bruno Mars
  5. “O Vida” by Carlinhos Brown and Nina De Freitas
  6. “It’s a Jungle Out Here” [Brazilian] by Philip Lawrence feat. Uakti
  7. “Don’t Go Away” by Anne Hathaway and Falvia Maia feat. Uakti
  8. “Batucada Familia” by Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett, Jamie Foxx, Rachel Crow, Amy Heidemann, Andy Garcia and Rita Moreno
  9. “Poisonous Love” by Kristin Chenoweth and Jemaine Clement
  10. “I Will Survive” by Jemaine Clement and Kristin Chenoweth
  11. “Bola Viva” by Carlinhos Brown
  12.  “Favo De Mel” by Milton Nascimento
  13.  “It’s a Jungle Out Here” by Philip Lawrence
  14. “What is Love” by Janelle Monae, Anne Hathaway, Jessie Eisenberg, Jamie Foxx and Carlinhos Brown

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.