Just to check: yes, we are in September 2015, the Angry Birds movie is a reality, and it will premiere in 2016. I think we're all thinking the same thing at this point, and that is that the reach of the movie would have been much broader three or four years ago, but the timing of Sony Pictures doesn't obey any rational parameter, and if they believe the film has a chance in the next summer season, well... we'll have to see it to believe it.
My relationship with Angry Birds lasted a few months, and reached a point where if I had to shoot another bird, what would actually fly out would be the monitor. The folks at Rovio did everything possible to escape the sphere of influence established by their number one product, but it didn't go very well, to say the least. There are a total of 14 titles with the Angry Birds name, and the last one was none other than Angry Birds 2, debuting last July. Apparently, the love for Angry Birds is still there, as it accumulated more than twenty million downloads in a week, and allowed it to claim the top spot on iOS and Android stores. Now, the question is: Will that love be enough to accept a movie?
What the Trailer Shows
Although the plot must inevitably adopt (inevitably) multiple elements from the games, the first thing this trailer shows us is that the group psychopath behavior of the Angry Birds and their constant search for destruction against the pigs has been set aside, in favor of a Red Bird (named Red) with serious anger management problems. Of course, he's not the only one needing therapy. The Black Bird (Bomb) explodes at the first sign of stress, and the Yellow Bird (Chuck) doesn't stay still for a second. The arrival of the pigs will only complicate things, and with a bit of luck, something might be left standing.
Voice Cast and Budget
Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses), Josh Gad (21, Pixels), and Danny McBride (Tropic Thunder) lend their voices to Red, Chuck, and Bomb respectively. Maya Rudolph (Idiocracy) will do the same for the White Bird Matilda, Bill Hader (Men in Black 3) will be the pig boss Leonard, and the cast includes none other than Peter Dinklage as the voice of the Mighty Eagle. The Angry Birds Movie carries a budget of 80 million dollars on its shoulders, an extra 100 million in advertising, a contract with Lego to create a set with the characters, and the fact that Rovio did not fire anyone related to the movie in its latest round of layoffs. In other words... they put all their eggs in this basket. The release? May 20, 2016.
