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Rovio's Desperate Push For 'Angry Birds' Movie (venturebeat.com)

An anonymous reader writes:Last year Rovio "cut 213 jobs, affecting all departments except those working on the film and its related projects," remembers VentureBeat, describing their effort to make a movie about three outcast birds on an island of happier birds who all meet in an anger management class. But "Since Rovio funded the entire film, the directors didn't have to answer to an executive committee or a board of trustees..." reports VentureBeat, quoting director Clay Kaytis as saying "We had to make ourselves happy... We were making the films for [ourselves] instead of for a larger entity that expects something in return."

After working for four years from a script by Jon Vitti (a writer for both The Simpsons and The Office), and funding a marketing onslaught that lasted nine months, Rovio finally saw their Angry Birds movie open in this weekend's #1 spot, according to the New York Times. "Most of the 'Angry Birds' financial risk fell to Rovio, the Finnish video game company, which paid $173 million to make and market the movie. As such, Rovio will receive the bulk of any profit."

In China, McDonald's released special Angry Birds burgers with red or green buns...which at least one patron complained made the buns look moldy.

3 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Jusr saw it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    It was surprisingly good. They actually had pretty reasonable explanations for why the characters have the abilities in the game (or as much as a movie about a bunch of sentient flightless birds and green pigs could have.)

    1. Re:Jusr saw it... by sjames · · Score: 4, Informative

      At a minimum, adults who have kids. Then there's adults looking for something light who are tired of car crashes and unfunny 'comedies'.

  2. Re:UNICODE?? by locoluis · · Score: 5, Informative

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