Corona | Coming Attractions

Variety reports today that 20th Century Fox has found a new CG animated project to make with Blue Sky Studios, the creators of the Ice Age films. Rio is the title of this new project and its main character is described by the trade magazine as a nerdy macaw who flies away from his small Minnesota town to the warmer climate of Rio de Janeiro.

Ice Age: The Meltdown director Carlos Saldanha will direct the movie for the studio. It's a pet project for the Brazilian-born Saldana and with some collateral to his name after co-directing the first and solely directing the second and soon-to-be completed third Ice Age films, he's finally getting to create the movie. Fox has even staked out Rio's opening date: April 8, 2011.

A screenwriter hasn't been hired by producers Chris Jenkins and Bruce Anderson just yet to craft the 3-D digital film's storyline.