foreign movies are generally released in their native language, with portuguese subtitles but after a couple of weeks from the original release date, movies are also released dubbed in portuguese, except for comedies and animations, that normally are released dubbed in portuguese right away - this is possibly because these films appeal to kids and families, and in these cases subtitles would not work well.

american movies in rio de janeiro are released almost, if not on the same date, as they are released in the united states and the overall quality of movie theaters in rio is high, all have modern sound systems, powerful air conditioning, and many now have digital, and 3d capable projectors - there are movie theaters in all areas of rio, and normally multiplex cinemas in the major shopping malls like rio sul, shopping leblon, and barra shopping.

screen sizes vary greatly, and visitors should ask about the size of the screen / room before purchasing a ticket, since some movie theaters like the roxy in copacabana sell assigned-seat tickets, meaning that the actual seat must be chosen prior to the show.