Now, his lead
characters Blu and Jewel voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway are back
in “Rio 2” for a grandeur adventure into the wild with the Nigel the villain at
their trail. To fully realize the scope
and breadth of this magical world and its vivid characters, Saldanha brought
together an all-star voice cast, led by Oscar® nominees Anne Hathaway and Jesse
Eisenberg, Oscar and Grammy®-winner Jamie Foxx, acclaimed musical artist
will.i.am, actor-musician Jemaine Clement, comedic actress Leslie Mann, actor
Rodrigo Santoro (a Brazilian native), actor-comedian George Lopez, and funnyman
Tracy Morgan.
Saldanha returns
to Brazil and reunites his beloved characters in “Rio 2.” In the new film, it’s a jungle out there for
Blu, Jewel and their three kids, after they’re hurtled from Rio to the wilds of
the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful and
villainous Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all…his
father-in-law.
The world’s
favorite “Rio” characters are joined by Oscar nominee Andy Garcia, Grammy
winner Bruno Mars, Tony® winner Kristin Chenoweth and Oscar/Emmy®/Tony winner
Rita Moreno. RIO 2 also features new
Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle Monáe and Wondaland.
In “Rio 2” we
find Blu, Jewel and their family living the perfect domesticated life in the
city. The offspring are: Bia (voiced by
“The Hunger Games’” Amandla Stenberg), who lives with her beak in a book and
likes spouting facts and figures, just like her dad; Tiago (Pierce Gagnon,
“Looper”) the youngest, who is always up for adventure, especially if it
involves destroying something; and Carla (singer/actress/comedian Rachel Crow),
the eldest, a spunky teen who longs to get a little space from her protective
family so she can express her musical side.
When Jewel
decides the kids need to learn to live like real birds, she insists the family
venture to the Amazon. Blu tells his
buddies of his travel plans, but Nico, Pedro and Luiz warn him of the myriad
dangers that could lie ahead in the wild.
But the ever-positive Rafael encourages Blu, reminding him that “a happy
wife means a happy life!” Upon their arrival, Blu and Jewel meet the locals,
including Eduardo (Andy Garcia), a larger than life patriarch with a firm set
of rules, who becomes a comedic obstacle for Blu; Mimi (Rita Moreno), Eduardo’s
warm and sassy sister, who likes to speak her mind, even to her overbearing
brother; and Roberto (singer-songwriter-record producer Bruno Mars), a perfect
specimen of a wild bird who charms everyone around him and makes
Bluself-conscious. As Blu tries to fit
in, he worries he may lose Jewel and the kids to the call of the wild.
Meanwhile, the treacherous cockatoo Nigel plots his revenge on Blu, aided by
Gabi (Kristin Chenoweth), a cute poisonous frog who is fiercely loyal to Nigel
and though small in stature, possesses a huge villainous heart.
With the success
of “Rio” the call for a sequel came quickly.
Saldanha decided to set his new story in the mammoth Brazilian
wilderness. “I wanted a setting very
different from the one we explored in ‘Rio,’ he explains. “I thought we should move away from the
city.” So, in RIO 2, it’s on…in the
Amazon, not only visually, but musically.
“We wanted to look at different musical ‘flavors,’ sounds and exciting
new beats that make the soundtrack for “Rio 2” even bigger than the first
film,” says the director.
“Rio 2” in 3D and
2D will open nationwide on April 9 in theaters nationwide from 20th
Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.