50 Fun Facts About Rio
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Take the 50-question quizWhat species of bird are Blu and Jewel?
The real bird was declared extinct in the wild in 2019, though captive-bred birds were reintroduced in 2022.
Who voices Blu?
He recorded on weekends while shooting The Social Network, calling it 'the perfect antidote' to playing Mark Zuckerberg.
Who voices Jewel?
She and Eisenberg had played siblings as teenagers in the short-lived 1999 series Get Real.
Who voices the villainous Nigel?
He was cast after animators built test shots of Nigel delivering a Flight of the Conchords speech.
What kind of bird is Nigel?
He hates 'pretty birds' because a parakeet replaced him on a television show.
In which US state does Blu grow up with Linda?
The crate fell off a truck in Moose Lake, and fifteen years later Blu still has not learned to fly.
Who directed Rio?
A Rio de Janeiro native, he had just directed two Ice Age films and wanted a warmer setting.
Which studio animated Rio for 20th Century Fox?
The Connecticut studio, home of Ice Age and Scrat, was shut down by Disney in April 2021.
What animal was the hero in the director's original 2006 story concept?
He switched to macaws after learning Happy Feet and Surf's Up were already in production.
Which two films pushed the director to abandon his first concept?
Both were about penguins, which would have made the first idea redundant.
Where did the animators study real macaws' movements?
The crew also travelled to Rio to see the story's locations for themselves.
Who composed Rio's score?
Sérgio Mendes was brought on as 'music guru', reaching out to will.i.am and Carlinhos Brown.
Which Rio song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 84th Academy Awards?
It lost to 'Man or Muppet' from The Muppets.
How much did Rio gross worldwide?
That made it the 13th highest-grossing film of 2011 on a $90 million budget.
Who finds Blu's crate and names him?
Leslie Mann voices her, and the director's daughter Sofia voices her as a child.
What is ornithologist Túlio's surname?
Rodrigo Santoro voices him and also a soccer announcer.
Who voices Túlio?
He was Xerxes in 300 and Karl in Love Actually.
What is the name of the orphaned boy who helps capture the macaws?
He regrets it, helps the search, and is adopted by Linda and Túlio at the end.
Who leads the gang of bird smugglers?
Carlos Ponce voices him; his henchmen Armando and Tipa give away the Carnival plan.
Why did Nigel come to despise 'pretty birds'?
He explains the grudge to Blu and Jewel while they are caged.
What kind of bird is Rafael?
George Lopez voices him; his wife Eva is a keel-billed toucan voiced by Bebel Gilberto.
Who voices Rafael?
He returned for Rio 2 alongside the rest of the main cast.
What breed of dog is Luiz?
His drooling turns out to be the key to slipping the macaws out of their cuffs.
Who voices Luiz?
Luiz is described as a saw expert with a medical drooling condition.
What finally frees Blu and Jewel from their leg cuffs?
Jewel immediately flies off with Pedro and Nico, which triggers Blu's insecurity.
What kind of bird is Pedro?
will.i.am voices him; he and Nico co-own a samba club.
Which musician voices Pedro?
Jamie Foxx voices his best friend Nico, a yellow canary.
Who voices Nico the canary?
A Disney+ spin-off about Nico and Pedro was reported in 2019 before the studio closed.
What animals does Nigel recruit to hunt the macaws?
Their leader Mauro ends up bullying Nigel after the plane crash.
How do the smugglers plan to get the birds to the airport?
Linda and Túlio pose as dancers in macaw costumes to chase them through it.
What does Blu use to break out of his cage on the plane?
He later fires it again to blast Nigel out of the cargo door and into an engine.
What finally gives Blu the ability to fly?
He dives after her from the falling plane and discovers his wings work on the way down.
What are the names of Blu and Jewel's three hatchlings?
The sequel follows the whole family into the Amazon to find more blue macaws.
Who was originally meant to voice Blu before scheduling got in the way?
His replacement recorded the part between takes of a Facebook drama.
Which film was Blu's voice actor shooting while recording Rio on weekends?
He called the cheerful bird 'the perfect antidote' to his 'severe' and 'joyless' character.
In which 1999 TV show had Blu's and Jewel's voice actors played siblings?
Hathaway said she barely saw her co-star during the Rio recordings except socially.
Which Brazilian musician served as the film's 'music guru'?
He connected the production with will.i.am and Carlinhos Brown for songs.
Which cookie brand sold a special edition with blue cream to promote Rio?
The sticker-album promotion ran in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, with a trip to Rio as a prize.
Which mobile game studio released a Rio crossover in March 2011?
Angry Birds Rio launched with 50 levels and introduced the series' first boss fights, against Nigel and Mauro.
What did the MPAA initially rate Rio before the producers re-edited it?
The citation was 'mild off-color humor'; a month later the board granted a G.
Which publisher released the Rio tie-in video game for Wii, DS, PS3 and Xbox 360?
Eurocom built the console versions and 1st Playable Productions the handheld one.
In which Rio de Janeiro neighbourhood did the film hold its world premiere?
It screened at a Cinépolis theatre there on March 22, 2011, before the US premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
To whose memory was Rio dedicated?
Clymene Campos Saldanha died on December 11, 2010, during production.
Which film later beat Rio's record for the biggest American opening in Brazil?
Rio's $8.4 million Brazilian opening came on over 1,000 screens, the country's largest release ever.
Which 2010 film did Rio overtake for the largest non-sequel animated opening in Russia?
Rio took $11.3 million there on its opening weekend and $24.7 million in total.
Where do Blu, Jewel and the kids go in Rio 2?
Jewel worries the children are becoming too domesticated and wants to find other blue macaws.
Who is Jewel's long-lost father in Rio 2?
Andy Garcia voices him; Bruno Mars plays Jewel's childhood friend Roberto.
Which company produced 'Rio: The 4-D Experience'?
The 12-minute short premiered at the San Diego Zoo 4-D Theater in September 2013.
Which Blue Sky co-founder did the director pitch Rio to?
Wedge had taught Saldanha at the School of Visual Arts and invited him to join the studio.
Which 2017 Blue Sky film earned Rio's director an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature?
He had also been nominated in 2003 for the Ice Age short Gone Nutty.