The 3-D animated comedy adventure, Rio, marks Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha's love affair with his home city, Rio de Janeiro. He came up with the idea for Rio while working on Ice Age 3, which was released in 2009.
'I spent years working on the Ice Age films and had a great time,' says Saldanha. 'Rio is an even more personal journey for me.'
Endangered macaw Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) lives a comfortable life in rural Minnesota, with owner Linda (Leslie Mann).
Blu, pictured with Linda, is not a typical bird - he brushes his teeth each morning, makes coffee and serves as Linda's alarm clock.
However, he cannot fly. 'He's very smart, reads everything and is very analytical. But none of that helps him fly,' Eisenberg says.
One day, Blu makes a startling discovery: he is the only male macaw left on earth. The only remaining female, Jewel (Anne Hathaway), lives in Rio.