Carlos Saldanha (; born 24 January 1965) is a Brazilian animator, director, producer, and voice actor of animated films who worked with

Blue Sky Studios Blue Sky Studios, Inc. was an American computer animation studio based in Greenwich, Connecticut. It was founded on February 22, 1987 by Chris Wedge, Michael Ferraro, Carl Ludwig, Alison Brown, David Brown, and Eugene Troubetzkoy after their e ...

until its closure in 2021. He was the director of '' Ice Age: The Meltdown'' (2006), '' Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'' (2009), ''

Rio Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

'' (2011), ''

Rio 2 ''Rio 2'' is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 computer-animated film '' Rio'' and the second installment of the ''Rio'' franchise ...

'' (2014), ''

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

'' (2017), and the co-director of ''

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

'' (2002) and ''

Robots "\n\n\n\n\nThe robots exclusion standard, also known as the robots exclusion protocol or simply robots.txt, is a standard used by websites to indicate to visiting web crawlers and other web robots which portions of the site they are allowed to visi ...

'' (2005). Saldanha was nominated in 2003 for an

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year 1 ...

for ''

Gone Nutty ''Gone Nutty'' (also known as ''Scrat's Missing Adventure'') is a 2002 American computer-animated short film directed by Carlos Saldanha for Blue Sky Studios. The short features the character Scrat from ''Ice Age'', who is yet again having troubles ...

'' and in 2018 for

Best Animated Feature This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

for ''

''.

Early life

Saldanha was born in Brazil, growing up in

Marechal Hermes Marechal Hermes is a planned working-class neighborhood located in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, founded on May 1, 1913. Surrounding neighborhoods include Bento Ribeiro, Campo dos Afonsos, Rio de Janeiro, Campo dos Afonsos, Deodoro, R ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

."What's in Store". ''Visual Arts Journal''. Fall 2011.

School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by ...

. Page 18 Though he loved cartoons and drawing from an early age, by the time he was an adult, he initially considered a career in

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

, because he did not think a career in art was a viable option. This changed when he became aware of how

computer-generated imaging Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, simulators, and visual effects in films, television programs, shorts, commercials, and videos. The images ma ...

was revolutionizing animation, and discovered the continuing education program at the

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. He entered that program to major in computer animation, saying, "I knew from the first day in class that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life". One of his instructors, recognizing his talent, convinced him to enroll in the school's MFA program. Though Saldanha and his wife, Isabella Scarpa, thought this was a risk, they opted to stay in Manhattan so that Saldanha could do so. While at SVA, he completed two prizewinning film shorts that were featured in film festivals around the world. It was also at SVA that Saldanha met MFA instructor and future film directing partner

Chris Wedge John Christian Wedge (born March 20, 1957) is an American animator, designer, film director, voice actor, film producer, screenwriter, and cartoonist. He is known for directing the films '' Ice Age'' (2002), ''Robots'' (2005), '' Epic'' (2013), ...

, who invited Saldanha to join Wedge's company

. Saldanha graduated from SVA with a master's degree in

Computer Art Computer art is any art in which computers play a role in production or display of the artwork. Such art can be an image, sound, animation, video, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, video game, website, algorithm, performance or gallery installation. Many tradit ...

in 1993.

Career

Carlos Saldanha was hired by Bob Iger to work at PDI in 1983. During its fledgling years, Blue Sky Studios provided special effects and produced animated TV commercials. In 2002, Saldanha and Wedge co-directed the animated feature film ''

''. The movie was a success, with an opening weekend gross of $46.3 million, the best March opening ever. After co-directing the 2005 film ''

'', he broke his previous March opening record with the 2006 ''Ice Age'' sequel, '' Ice Age 2: The Meltdown'', which Saldanha directed by himself. He would later direct the 2009 sequel, '' Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs''. Desiring a change of location after directing three films set in icy locales, Saldanha's next project was the 2011 film ''

'', which is set in Saldanha's hometown of Rio de Janeiro. Saldanha, who felt that Rio had never been fully portrayed on film, felt a responsibility to travel to the city with the other animators so that they could accurately capture Rio's unique environment and habitats. The movie grossed a reported $484 million worldwide. In October 2012, Saldanha signed a five-year exclusive deal with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

to develop and produce animated and

live-action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...

projects. For this purpose, he formed in June 2013 a Fox-based production company named BottleCap Productions. In 2014, ''

'' was released, which he directed and co-wrote. For 2017, he directed an animated feature film adaptation of '' The Story of Ferdinand''. Saldanha is also directing for Fox a live-action adaptation of Royden Lepp's graphic novel ''Rust: Visitor in the Field'', which he planned to make before ''Ferdinand''. He was also developing an animated feature film based on a book ''Alienology'' from the '' Ologies'' fantasy book series. In January 2022, it was announced that Saldanha would direct ''Harold and the Purple Crayon'' for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

and

Davis Entertainment Davis Entertainment (also known as Davis Entertainment Company) is an American film and television production company, founded by John Davis in 1984. Davis's three divisions–feature film, independent film, and television–develop and produc ...

. The film is scheluded for release on January 27, 2023.

Personal life

Saldanha and his wife, mathematician Isabella Scarpa, initially lived in a studio apartment in Manhattan's

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

, but after their second daughter was born, they moved to

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 ...

, where they had friends. They continue to live there with their children, Manoela, Sofia, Julia and Rafael. Saldanha, Isabella and their oldest daughter compete in the HOHA (Hoboken Harriers Running Club), a 5k race. Manoela and Sofia voiced a "porcupine-like critter" called "Molehog" in the film '' Ice Age: The Meltdown'', directed by their father. In ''

'', Sofia voiced Linda Gunderson as a child.

Filmography

Feature Films

Short Films and Television Specials

Streaming Series

Critical reception

Awards and nominations

Collaborators

;Actors * Jake T. Austin (''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') * Jemaine Clement (''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') * Bernardo de Paula (''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') *

Jesse Eisenberg Jesse Adam Eisenberg (; born October 5, 1983) is an American actor, writer, and director. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. ...

(''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') *

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...

(''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') *

Jeffrey Garcia Jeffrey Garcia (born May 3, 1977) is an American actor and stand-up comedian, who is best known for voicing Sheen Estevez in '' Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius'', and its two Nickelodeon spin-off television show series ''The Adventures of Jimmy Neut ...

(''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') *

Bebel Gilberto Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira (born May 12, 1966), known as Bebel Gilberto, is an American-born Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle i ...

(''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') *

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, she was among the world's highest-paid actresses in 2 ...

(''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') *

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...

(''Ice Age: The Meltdown'' and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'') *

Denis Leary Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...

(''Ice Age'', ''Ice Age: The Meltdown'', and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'') *

John Leguizamo John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...

(''Ice Age'', ''Ice Age: The Meltdown'', and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'') *

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's '' The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 20 ...

(''Robots'' and ''Ice Age: The Meltdown'') *

Clea Lewis Clea Lewis (born July 19, 1965) is an American actress, best known for her television role as Ellen's annoying friend, Audrey Penney in Ellen DeGeneres' sitcom '' Ellen''. Personal life Lewis was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, to a write ...

(''Ice Age: The Meltdown'' and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'') *

George Lopez George Edward Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican American culture. Lopez has rece ...

(''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') *

Leslie Mann Leslie Jean Mann (born March 26, 1972) is an American actress. She has appeared in numerous films, including ''The Cable Guy'' (1996), ''George of the Jungle'' (1997), '' Big Daddy'' (1999), '' Knocked Up'' (2007), '' 17 Again'' (2009), '' Funn ...

(''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') * Brian Scott McFadden (''Robots'', ''Ice Age: The Meltdown'', and ''Rio 2'') * Tracy Morgan (''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') * Tim Nordquist (''Robots'', ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'', ''Rio'', and ''Ferdinand'') *

Josh Peck Joshua Michael Peck (born November 10, 1986) is an American actor and comedian. Peck began his career as a child actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and had an early role on the Nickelodeon sitcom ''The Amanda Show'' from 2000 to 2002. Peck ...

(''Ice Age: The Meltdown'' and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'') *

Ray Romano Raymond Albert Romano (born December 21, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Ray Barone on the CBS sitcom '' Everybody Loves Raymond'', for which he received an Emmy Award, and as t ...

(''Ice Age'', ''Ice Age: The Meltdown'', and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'') *

Stephen Root Stephen Root (born November 17, 1951) is an American actor. He has starred as Jimmy James on the television sitcom '' NewsRadio'', as Milton Waddams in the film ''Office Space'' (1999), and provided the voices of Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickl ...

(''Ice Age'' and ''Ice Age: The Meltdown'') * Rodrigo Santoro (''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'') *

Seann William Scott Seann William Scott (born October 3, 1976) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Steve Stifler in the '' American Pie'' franchise, and also for his role as Doug Glatt in both '' Goon'' and '' Goon: Last of the Enforcers''. He has al ...

(''Ice Age: The Meltdown'' and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'') * Cindy Slattery (''Ice Age: The Meltdown'', ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'', ''Rio'', ''Rio 2'', and ''Ferdinand'') *

Alan Tudyk Alan Wray Tudyk ( ;; born March 16, 1971) is an American actor. His film work includes roles in '' 28 Days'' with Sandra Bullock (2000), ''A Knight's Tale'' with Heath Ledger (2001), '' Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'' with Vince Vaughn (2004) ...

(''Ice Age'' and ''Ice Age: The Meltdown'') *

(''Ice Age'', ''Robots'', ''Ice Age: The Meltdown'', and ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'') * will.i.am (''Rio'' and ''Rio 2'')

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saldanha, Carlos Living people 1965 births Brazilian animated film directors People from Rio de Janeiro (city) Blue Sky Studios people American animated film directors Brazilian emigrants to the United States