Rio 2 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rio 2 |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Carlos Saldanha |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Carlos Saldanha |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Powell |
| Cinematography | Renato Falcão |
| Editing by | Harry Hitner |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | March 20, 2014 (International) April 11, 2014 (United States) |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $103-130 million |
| Money made | $498.8 million |
Rio 2 is a 2014 American animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 animated film Rio and the second installment of the Rio 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 in the Amazon rainforest. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, and Jake T. Austin reprising their roles from the first film with new members including Bruno Mars, Andy Garcia, Rita Moreno, Rachel Crow, Kristin Chenoweth, Amandla Stenberg, Pierce Gagnon, and Miguel Ferrer (in his final theatrical film before his death in 2017).
Rio 2 was released internationally on March 20, 2014, and on April 11, 2014, in American theaters by 20th Century Fox. It grossed $498 million worldwide, against a production budget of $103 million, and received mixed reviews from critics, praise for the animation, voice acting and songs, but criticism for the story, writing, and characterization. The film is dedicated to the memory of screenwriter Don Rhymer, who died on November 28, 2012, at the age of 51. This was Blue Sky Studios' first and only follow-up film outside the Ice Age franchise. This was also the final Rio film to be produced by Blue Sky Studios before its closure on April 10, 2021. A third film is in development.
Contents
Plot
Blu and Jewel are raising their three children — Carla, Bia, and Tiago — in the city but Jewel is disappointed to see her children becoming too domesticated like their father. Meanwhile, Linda and Tulio are on an expedition in the Amazon and, after falling down a waterfall, discover a blue Spix's macaw that loses a feather. When words about the encounter are broadcast through television, Jewel believes that they should go to the Amazon to help find the blue macaws. While the kids are ecstatic, Blu is uncertain, but is pressured into going along. Rafael, Nico and Pedro also decide to come along to scout talent for Carnival. Luiz tries to follow, but is unknowingly left behind by the birds. Blu brings a fanny pack full of supplies, including a GPS, much to Jewel's chagrin.
Big Boss, who leads a group of illegal loggers, discovers Linda and Tulio's expedition to find the macaws and orders his henchmen to hunt them down. Meanwhile, Nigel plots to exact revenge on Blu along with his new comrades, an anteater named Charlie and a poison dart frog named Gabi. After arriving at the jungle, Blu, his family, and their friends initially find nothing. However, they are eventually taken to a flock of blue macaws that hide in an uncharted section of the Amazon. There, Jewel is reunited with her long-lost father, Eduardo, paternal aunt Mimi, and childhood friend, Roberto. Eduardo seems unimpressed with Blu, but thanks him for bringing Jewel back home. Having lost their previous habitat to arson from the loggers, Eduardo is anti-human, and brushes off Blu's suggestion to expose the sanctuary to Linda and Tulio to ensure their protection.
While searching for the macaws, Linda and Tulio are captured by the loggers. Meanwhile, Blu does his best to fit in with the flock, as his family are doing, but his continued reliance on human tools prevent him from connecting with anyone. In another attempt to get closer to him, a disguised Nigel wins a talent show to become a performer for a Carnival show that Rafael, Pedro, Nico and Carla are hosting. When Blu tries to pick a Brazilian nut for Jewel, he accidentally tries to get it in the territory of the Spix macaw's enemies, the scarlet macaws, led by the hostile Felipe. Blu inadvertently causes war between the two tribes for food when he accidentally swats Felipe with a branch. The war turns out to be a football (soccer) match, but Blu accidentally costs the flock their territory when he scores on his team's own goal.
After an argument with Jewel, Blu ultimately decides to leave Linda and his human roots behind him for the sake of his family, but after witnessing the loggers' destruction of the forest, he returns to the flock and rallies them, gaining Eduardo's trust. With Blu's knowledge of human technology and help from the scarlet macaws, the flock, along with the rest of the jungle animals, disable the loggers' machinery. During the fight, Eduardo flies into a tractor and gets knocked onto the ground. As the tractor attempts to kill him, Linda tackles the machine in another tractor and wins. As Eduardo is on the ground between the tractors, Tulio picks him up and lets him fly away. Big Boss tries blowing up the trees with dynamite, but Blu thwarts him. Nigel then intervenes and leaves Big Boss to be eaten by an anaconda, wanting Blu to himself. Nigel attacks Blu, but Gabi, while trying to help, accidentally knocks Nigel out with a porcupine's quill filled with her poison. However, Bia reveals that Gabi is not actually a poison dart frog, but a tree frog.
With the flock now under Linda and Tulio's protection, Blu and Jewel decide to live in the Amazon with their kids. Eduardo drops his anti-human stance and accepts Blu into the flock. Nigel and Gabi are sent to Rio for study, Nico and Pedro's Carnival show, Amazon Untamed, goes on, and Luiz arrives at the Amazon for a visit.
Voice cast
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- Jesse Eisenberg as Blu, a male Spix's macaw from Moose Lake who was born in Rio de Janeiro and Jewel's mate.
- Anne Hathaway as Jewel, a female Spix's macaw from Rio de Janeiro and Blu's mate.
- Jemaine Clement as Nigel, a sulphur-crested cockatoo and Gabi's love interest who seeks revenge on Blu for crippling his ability to fly.
- Kristin Chenoweth as Gabi, a poison dart frog who is Nigel's sidekick. In the end of the film, she is revealed to be a tree frog.
- will.i.am as Pedro, a rapping red-crested cardinal.
- George Lopez as Rafael, a romantic, wise and energetic toco toucan who is fond of the Rio Carnival and Eva's mate.
- Bruno Mars as Roberto, Jewel's suave childhood friend.
- Leslie Mann as Linda, an American woman who adopted Blu for 15 years and Tulio's wife.
- Rodrigo Santoro as Tulio, a Brazilian ornithologist and Linda's husband.
- Rita Moreno as Aunt Mimi, Eduardo's sister and Jewel's aunt.
- Tracy Morgan as Luiz, a bulldog and a chainsaw expert with a drooling condition.
- Jake T. Austin as Fernando, Linda and Tulio's adopted son.
- Andy Garcia as Eduardo, Jewel's father.
- Jamie Foxx as Nico, a smooth and charismatic yellow canary that wears a bottle-cap hat and a close friend to Pedro.
- Rachel Crow as Carla, Blu and Jewel's music-loving daughter and the oldest of Blu and Jewel's children.
- Pierce Gagnon as Tiago, Blu and Jewel's youngest, mischievous, and only son.
- Amandla Stenberg as Bia, Blu and Jewel's intelligent, younger daughter, the middle child.
- Miguel Ferrer as Big Boss, the hot-tempered head of the illegal logging activity.
- Janelle Monáe as Dr. Monae, a veterinarian This was also Janelle Monae's first film role.
- Natalie Morales as a news anchor.
- Bebel Gilberto as Eva, a keel-billed toucan and Rafael's mate.
- 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.
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." In April 2012, Deadline Hollywood reported that Jesse Eisenberg had signed up to reprise his role as Blu, and Anne Hathaway had also signed on to reprise her role as Jewel. 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.
Screenwriter Don Rhymer died from complications relating to his head and neck cancer positive diagnosis on November 28, 2012, at the age of 51, during the writing phase of the sequel. 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. 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky unveiled the first teaser trailer at the annual Las Vegas, Nevada CinemaCon on April 18, 2013. On May 14, 2013, that same trailer was released online worldwide, and attached with Epic. 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.
Release
Rio 2 was released to international theaters on March 20, 2014. The film's premiere was held in Miami, Florida, on March 20, 2014. The film was released theatrically in the United States on April 11, 2014. The film's theatrical release was preceded by Almost Home, a short film produced by DreamWorks Animation to promote their 2015 film Home (20th Century Fox handled distribution for DWA's films at the time of its release).
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.
Three of four Angry Birds Rio episodes — all visually tied to Rio 2 — have been released. The first, "Rocket Rumble", was released in December 2013, the second, "High Dive", in February 2014, and the third, "Blossom River", in April 2014. In April 2014, Kohl's began selling Blu, Gabi, and Luiz plush toys as a part of their Kohl's Cares merchandise program.
The film also had promotional backing from Burger King, General Mills, Liberty Travel and ConAgra Foods.
Home media
Rio 2 was released on Blu-ray (2D and 3D) and DVD on July 15, 2014. The Target exclusive comes with a Blu plush toy. A limited sing-along edition of the film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 4, 2014.
Streaming
Streaming on Disney+ for the first time on August 4, 2023, in the United States.
Music
The soundtrack to Rio 2 also consisted of collaborations from Brazilian and American artists, and Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes, would co-produce the album with the film's composer John Powell, after previously doing so for the first film's soundtrack. The soundtrack titled Rio 2 (Music from the Motion Picture) was released on March 25, 2014, by Atlantic Records. It was promoted by the single "What Is Love", performed by Janelle Monáe, released as a single from the album on March 4. Powell's score was released into a separate album on April 15, 2014. The Barbatuques performed the song "Beautiful Creatures" as part of the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Future
Sequel
Director Carlos Saldanha had kept the possibility for Rio 3 open. In April 2014, he stated, "Of course, I have a lot of stories to tell, so we're [starting to] prepare for it.". In January 2022, after the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney, it was announced that a third Rio film is officially in development, with Jim Hecht writing the screenplay.
Spin-off
On October 25, 2019, after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, it was announced that a spin-off that centered on Nico and Pedro is in development for Disney+. The status of this spin-off has been left uncertain since.
See also
In Spanish: Río 2 para niños
