Film Music Reporter

20th Century Fox has announced this week that composer John Powell and Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes are returning to provide the music for the upcoming animated feature sequel Rio 2. The film is directed by Carlos Saldanha who directed the original 2011 film. Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jemaine Clement, will.i.am, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto, Jake T. Austin and Jamie Foxx are returning to voice the characters from the first part and are joined by new voice talent including Andy Garcia, Bruno Mars, Kristin Chenoweth, Rita Moreno, Amandla Stenberg, Rachel Crow, Pierce Gagnon and Natalie Morales. John C. Donkin and Bruce Anderson are producing the Blue Sky Animation production. The movie will feature new Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle Monáe and The Wondaland Arts Society, who also voices a role in the film. The soundtrack album will be released on Atlantic Records. Powell has previously scored the first part and Mendes served as the executive music producer and was Academy Award-nominated for the original song Real in Rio. Rio 2 is set to be released in the US on April 11, 2014 by 20th Century Fox.