The first installment of "Rio" was a box office success, grossing 485 million US dollars worldwide. The director came to Beijing to promote "Rio 2", which is still on the big screen both in China and the US.

The sequel continues with the stories with macaws Blu and Jewel, who in the new film take a trip with their children to the Amazon rainforest in search of their roots.

"Rio 2" has fared well in global box office, grossing about 275 million US dollars worldwide in two weeks. But it has also received mixed reviews. But Saldanha is facing his critics head-on.

"I've heard people saying the film is more for kids. I tend to think it's for everybody and I find the second one more visually and musically interesting."

Although "Rio 2" contains some elements related to football, the Brazilian director disputed the theory that the film is a tribute to the upcoming World Cup games to be held in his home country this July.

"Rio is a personal story. It is a tribute to my culture. It is just the story with or without those events," he said.

Saldanha also directed or co-directed the first three installments of the "Ice Age" franchise, with the third "Ice Age" film pocketing 887 million US dollars worldwide, including over 600 million US dollars from outside the US

Its earnings overseas are some of the highest ever seen for an animated film. The director's first visit to China also coincided with the 4th Beijing International Film Festival.

"China is a very exciting and fresh market with a lot of talented people. Hopefully we can have a good partnership in the future," he said.