‘Rio’: Why People Are Obsessed With This Animated Film 

The 2011 animated film ‘Rio’, which was nominated for an Oscar at the 2012 Academy Awards, is gaining popularity on one of the world’s top streaming platforms. The movie, written by Carlos Saldanha, Earl Richey Jones, Todd Jones, Don Rhymer, Joshua Sternin, Jennifer Ventimiglia, and Sam Harper, is currently the eighth most-watched film on Max. 

Directed by Saldanha, who also made a cameo, ‘Rio’ boasts a star-studded cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, and Jamie Foxx. The story follows Blu (Eisenberg) and Jewel (Hathaway) on their adventure in Rio de Janeiro, with additional voices from Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Leslie Mann, and Will.i.am.

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In 2012, ‘Rio’ was nominated for Best Original Song for ‘Real in Rio’ by Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett, although it lost to ‘Man or Muppet.’ The film holds a solid 72% rating from critics and 71% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting a balanced reception. Its success led to a sequel, ‘Rio 2’, which had less favourable reviews, scoring 49% from critics and 58% from audiences. 

Despite not reaching the box office heights of ‘Inside Out 2’, the original ‘Rio’ performed well financially, earning $143 million domestically and over $340 million internationally, for a total of $483 million on a $90 million budget. The sequel mirrored the first film’s domestic opening with $39 million and ultimately earned $131 million in the U.S. and $367 million globally, totalling just under $500 million.

Currently, ‘Rio’ is ranked as the #8 film on Max.

–Farheen Ali