Anne Hathaway and Neil Patrick Harris Head to Animated 'RIO'

The Hollywood Reporter has alerted that stage and screen favorites Anne Hathaway and Neil Patrick Harris are negotiating to lend their voices to "Rio," the next collaboration between Blue Sky Studios, Fox Animation and director Carlos Saldanha, all of whom are celebrating the the $882 million success of "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."

"Rio," will follow the adventures of a nerdy macaw who lights out from his small-town Minnesota cage for the exotic Summer Olympic city of Rio de Janeiro, is scheduled for an April 8, 2011, release. As was  "Dinosaurs," it will be filmed in the popular 3D digital animation format.

Actor Rodrigo Santoro is also expected to join the film. Chris Jenkins and Bruce Anderson will produce.

The HR reminds that "Hathaway and Harris have done animation before. Hathaway voiced the lead role of Red in the Weinstein Co. release "Hoodwinked!" in 2005, and Harris voiced a character in Sony Pictures Animation's "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."

Fox would not confirm casting to THR.

Neil Patrick Harris recently hosted the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS on September 20th.

Academy Award nominee Anne Hathaway starred as Viola in TWELFTH NIGHT which ran June 9th-July 12th at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.