"Angry Birds" addicts might finally elect to put their smartphones away for once when the movie version of their favorite app flies into theaters July 1, 2016. Sony Pictures Entertainment announced Wednesday that it has won distribution rights to the big-screen ode to the game.
Perhaps the gamers who comprise the nearly 2 billion downloads that were reported as of March will issue their collective support, even though no specific plot details have been revealed -- other than that the movie will be in 3-D.
As previously reported, John Cohen ("Despicable Me") and David Maisel ("Iron Man," "Thor") will produce the "Angry Birds" adaptation. The movie will expand on the stories originating in the current Finnish TV series "Angry Birds Toons," which debuted in March.
Whether the movie's box office gross will rise to the level of the many video-game adaptations that have thrived in recent years ("Mortal Kombat," "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Resident Evil") remains to be seen.
Cohen and Maisel said they will have "many more announcements as we begin production in the coming months."
"Every studio in town would love to add 'Angry Birds' to their slate. There are few titles out there that bring this kind of excitement, brand awareness and built-in audience to the table," Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Amy Pascal, co-chair, said in a statement.
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