Carlos Saldanha, who co-directed and directed the global blockbuster “Ice Age” movies had long wanted to write a love letter to his hometown of Rio. From his imagination came a story about a nerdy, highly domesticated bird who goes on the adventure of a lifetime in that wondrous city that produced the highly successful “Rio” movie released in April 2011 that became a worldwide smash with almost $500 million at the global box office. 
