Rio (2011 film)

Rio is a 2011 American animated musical comedy film directed by Carlos Saldanha and written by Don Rhymer, Joshua Sternin, Jennifer Ventimilia, and Sam Harper. The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where the film is set. Produced by Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation, the film features the voices of Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Mann, George Lopez, and Jamie Foxx. It follows Blu, a domesticated male macaw, who is taken back to Rio de Janeiro to mate with Jewel, a free-spirited female macaw, and escape from bird smugglers and Nigel, a cockatoo, with her.

Saldanha first developed the story concept in 2006, in which a penguin is washed up in Rio. Saldanha learned of the production of the films Happy Feet (2006) and Surf's Up (2007), and changed the concept to involve macaws. He pitched his idea to Chris Wedge, and the project was set up at Blue Sky Studios. During production, the crew visited Rio de Janeiro and also consulted with an expert on macaws at the Bronx Zoo to study their movements. John Powell composed the film’s music score.

Rio debuted on March 22, 2011, in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, and was released in the United States on April 15 by 20th Century Fox. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $484 million against a $90 million budget. It was nominated for Best Original Song for the song "Real in Rio" at the 84th Academy Awards. A sequel, Rio 2, was released in 2014.