300’S RODRIGO SANTORO IN THE UPCOMING ANIMATION EXTRAVAGANZA “RIO 2”

Fast-rising to be one of Hollywood’s leading men, Rodrigo Santoro, a Brazilian native reprises his role as Tulio in “Rio 2,” from the globally beloved hit “Rio” where he plays an eccentric scientist opposite Leslie Mann’s character, Linda who owns Blu.  

 

Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Studios

                Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) and Linda (Mann) as seen in the first movie are living a simple life together in Minnesota who are both homebodies – explaining the very domesticated rare Macaw, Blu. Upon Tulio’s arrival, their lives are turned upside down bringing news that Blu is not the last of his kind – taking them both to Rio to meet Jewel (Anne Hathaway).  Their adventure brings them further into the Amazon in “Rio 2” where Tulio and Linda who are now married have caught a blue feather floating on air while exploring the deep part of the jungle. The newlyweds are exploring the Amazon, where they discover there may be more Blue Macaws, and set out to find them. 

   

                To fully realize the scope and breadth of this magical new world and its vivid characters, Saldanha brought together once again all-star voice cast, led by Oscar® nominees Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg, Oscar and Grammy®-winner Jamie Foxx, acclaimed musical artist will.i.am, actor-musician Jemaine Clement, comedic actress Leslie Mann, actor Rodrigo Santoro (a Brazilian native), actor-comedian George Lopez, and funnyman Tracy Morgan.  

                Now, filmmaker Saldanha returns to Brazil and reunites his beloved characters in “Rio 2.”  In the new film, it’s a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids, after they’re hurtled from Rio to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful and villainous Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all…his father-in-law. 

                Leslie Mann, who returns to voice Linda, describes the game-changing discovery: “From the sky, a little blue feather falls between Linda and Tulio.  He tastes it and he realizes it’s a Blue Macaw feather.  And they go off in search of more Blue Macaws.”  Mann’s on-screen hubby, Rodrigo Santoro, who reprises the role of Tulio, notes that, “Linda and Tulio are still working hard to protect birds in Brazil.  And they make a terrific couple because Tulio is a great thinker and Linda is a great ‘do-er.’”

                Armed with the knowledge of Linda and Tulio’s finding, Jewel decides her family must pick up stakes and take a walk – make that flight – on the wild side.  “In ‘Rio,’ we learned that Blu and Jewel were the last of their kind, but in the new film they learn they might not be –that there may be other Blue Macaws out there,” notes Hathaway.  “So it becomes important to Jewel to find who’s out there in the Amazon. She’s thrilled there could be more like her and Blu.”

                Rodrigo Santoro is one of Brazil's most talented and famous actors and started his career playing parts in RedeGlobo’s plays and went on to play parts in many of Globo’s telenovelas, such as “Olho no Olho,” “PátriaMinha,” “Explode Coração,” “O Amor Está no Ar,” “Suave Veneno” and “Mulheres Apaixonadas.”  In 1998, he starred in the Brazilian miniseries “Hilda Furacão,” playing the role of a priest.   Since then, Rodrigo has won a total of eight Best Actor awards, along with ten nominations.  He has done a variety of work, starring in the popular Chanel No. 5 campaign with Nicole Kidman and voicing the title character in “Stuart Little” and its sequel in the Brazilian dubbed copies. 

                Rodrigo starred in “300,” playing Xerxes opposite Gerard Butler.  The film, which was based on the Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name, broke box office records throughout the world becoming the first Brazilian actor to be nominated for an MTV Movie Award®.  He went on to roles in “The Last Stand,” with Arnold Schwarzenegger; the comedy “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”; and the upcoming films “Focus” and “300: Rise of an Empire,” in which he reprises his “300” role of Xerxes.

                Rodrigo’s first American film was Sony’s “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” in which he starred as Randy Emmers.  He’s also starred in Universal’s hit romantic comedy “Love Actually,” David Mamet’s “Redbelt,” Fox Searchlight’s “Post Grad,” and “I Love You Phillip Morris.”  Rodrigo starred in “Behind the Sun,” which was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2002 Golden Globe Awards.  He later starred in both Steven Soderbergh’s “Che” and Pablo Trapero’s “Lion’s Den,” both of which earned multiple nominations at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

                A Twentieth Century Fox released Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studio’s CG animated feature, “Rio 2” opens April 9 in theaters nationwide in the Phils.