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Carlos Saldanha is a Brazilian director, actor, and voice actor.

Early life[]

Saldanha was born in Brazil, growing up in Marechal Hermes, Rio de Janeiro.[3][4] 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, because he did not think a career in art was a viable option. This changed when he became aware of how computer-generated imaging was revolutionizing animation, and discovered the continuing education program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. 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.[3] It was also at SVA that Saldanha met MFA instructor and future film directing partner Chris Wedge, who invited Saldanha to join Wedge's company Blue Sky Studios.[3][4][5] Saldanha graduated from SVA with a master's degree in Computer Art in 1993.[3][4]

Career[]

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 2002 film Ice Age. The movie was a success, with an opening weekend gross of $46.3 million, the best March opening ever. After co-directing the 2005 animated film Robots, he broke his previous March opening record with the sequel, Ice Age: 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 Rio, 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.[4]

In October 2012, Saldanha signed a five-year exclusive deal with 20th Century Fox to develop and produce animated and live-action projects.[6] For this purpose, he formed in June 2013 a Fox-based production company named BottleCap Productions.[7] In 2014, Rio 2 was released, which he directed and co-wrote. For 2017, he directed an animated feature film adaptation of The Story of Ferdinand.[8][9] Saldanha is also directing for Fox a live-action adaptation of Royden Lepp's graphic novel Rust: Visitor in the Field,[10] which he planned to make before Ferdinand.[11] He was also developing an animated feature film based on a book Alienology from the Ologies fantasy book series.[6]

In January 2022, it was announced that Saldanha would direct Harold and the Purple Crayon for Columbia Pictures and Davis Entertainment.[12] The film, which is also the first to be directed by Saldanha since 2017, was released on August 2, 2024.[13][14][15]

Personal life[]

Saldanha and his wife, mathematician Isabella Scarpa, initially lived in a studio apartment in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, but after their second daughter was born, they moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, 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.[4] Manoela and Sofia voiced a "porcupine-like critter" called "Molehog" in the film Ice Age: The Meltdown, directed by their father.[16] In Rio, Sofia voiced Linda Gunderson as a child.

Feature films[]

Year Title Director Writer Executive
Producer
Other Voice Notes
1996 Joe's Apartment No No No Yes Supervising animator: Blue Sky Studios
1997 A Simple Wish No No No Yes Creative supervisor: Blue Sky Studios
1999 Fight Club No No No Yes
2002 Ice Age Co-Director No No No
2005 Robots Co-Director No No No
2006 Ice Age: The Meltdown Yes No No Yes Dodo
2009 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Yes No No Yes Dinosaur Babies / Flightless Bird
2011 Rio Yes Story No Yes Second Waiter
2012 Ice Age: Continental Drift No No Yes No
2014 Rio 2 Yes Story No Yes Amazon Quail
Rio, I Love You Segment No No No Segment: "Pas de Deux"
2016 Ice Age: Collision Course No No Yes No
2017 Ferdinand Yes No No Yes Screaming Matador Additional Voices
2019 Spies in Disguise No No No Yes Senior Creative Team
2023 Nimona No No No Yes Blue Sky Studios
2024 Harold and the Purple Crayon Yes No No No
2025 100 Days Yes No No No
2025 Kung Fu Wa!: The Movie No No No Yes Senior Creative Team of Little Witch Pictures of America, owned by Amblin Partners
2025 Sea Princesses: The Movie No No No Yes
2025 The Tish Tash Movie No No No Yes
2025 Sidekicks: Superheroes vs. Henchmen No No No Yes
2025 Tower of Italy Yes Yes No Yes
2026 FriendZSpace No No No Yes Senior Creative Team of Little Witch Pictures of America, owned by Amblin Partners
2026 The Solar Chronicles No No No Yes
2026 Into the Thick of It No No No Yes
2026 Alva's Gone Wrong No No No Yes
2026 The Problem Solvers No No No Yes
2026 Monster Friends No No No Yes
2026 Kung Fu Wa! 2: The Awakening No No No Yes
2026 Hooters No No No Yes
2026 Neon Genesis Evangelion No No No Yes
2026 The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 No No No Yes Illumination Senior Creative Team
2026 Ice Age 6 Yes No No Yes
2027 Starlight No No No Yes Senior Creative Team of Little Witch Pictures of America, owned by Amblin Partners
2027 Trulli Tales: The Movie No No No Yes
2027 Niro Ionik: Vagabond No No No Yes
2027 Kung Fu Wa! 3: The Rise of Tee Zeng No No No Yes
2027 Isaac No No No Yes
TBA Little Witch Academia: The Movie No No No Yes
TBA Johnny Test No No No Yes
TBA Kid vs. Kat No No No Yes
TBA Rainbow Bubblegem No No No Yes
TBA Rio 3 Yes Yes No Yes
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  8. Brodesser-Akner, Claude (February 18, 2011). "Fox, Ice Age Director Bullish on The Story of Ferdinand". New York. https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/02/the_story_of_ferdinand.html. 
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