Following the box office success of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Blue Sky Studios and Fox Animation are collaborating again on the animated flick Rio.
Ice Age director Carlos Saldanha has already signed on to direct Rio, and the studios are currently negotiating to add Anne Hathaway and Neil Patrick Harris to the voicing cast for the film.
Rio tells the story of a macaw in Minnesota who escapes from his cage in the north to make his way to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The film is scheduled to be released in April 2011 and, continuing with the trend, will be released in digital 3D.
Having grossed almost $2.5 billion with five animated films since 2002, all but one of which saw Saldanha’s involvement, Blue Sky and Fox undoubtedly expect to see large-scale success with Rio as well. Given those involved with the project, that success likely will be achieved.
In addition to having two studios strong in animation and a director who has also done much animated work involved in Rio, the film is being produced by Chris Jenkins and Bruce Anderson, who produced (respectively) the animated movies Surf’s Up and Horton Hears a Who.
