Rio, US$ 286 million

By Natália Rangel - The romantic story of the animated film Rio has captivated box offices worldwide. And it continues to break records. The film by Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha (produced by the American studio Fox) premiered in the US and, in just ten days, grossed US$82 million, almost the total invested in its production. Adding the American box office to that of the rest of the world, the total reaches an impressive US$286 million. In Brazil, the film arrived in cinemas at a tragic moment in the country's history: one day after the massacre at the Realengo school that left 12 children dead. The cheerful plot, celebrating Brazil, was overshadowed by the tragedy.

The beauty and grace of the animation, however, won over the audience, and the film reached first place in the ranking of the most-watched films in the country, where it remained throughout the month, earning US$30,2 million. Saldanha gained the trust of Fox studios as director of the Ice Age series – the three films were worldwide hits (the last one had 10 million viewers in Brazil alone) and left behind productions from Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. This success qualified Saldanha to secure financing from the studio for "Rio" (with a budget of US$90 million).