The avian fun of Rio grossed nearly $500 million around the world and so it’s little surprise Fox is keen to make a sequel. Now the studio has announced the cast for Rio 2, which is already in production at Blue Sky Studios. It’ll be released around the world in March and April 2014.
Most of the original cast are back, with Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jemaine Clement, will.i.am, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto, Jake T. Austin, and Jamie Foxx all set to return. They’ll be joined by Rio newbies including Andy Garcia, Bruno Mars, Kristin Chenoweth, Rita Moreno, Amandla Stenberg, Rachel Crow, Pierce Gagnon, and news anchor Natalie Morales. Unfortunately there’s no info on exactly who they will play.
In Rio, rare parrots we find Blu, Jewel and their three kids are living the perfect domesticated life in that magical city. When Jewel decides the kids need to learn to live like real birds, she insists the family venture into the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in with his new neighbors, he worries he may lose Jewel and the kids to the call of the wild.
Carlos Saldanha, who was inspired to create the film based upon his experiences growing up in Rio De Janiero, returns to direct.