Smartphone worldwide video game phenomenon, Angry Birds, will soon be flocking to a theater near you, reports Variety.
Angry Birds is a video game where players use a slingshot to help a flock of animated birds destroy a group of evil pigs who stole their eggs.
Developed by Finland-based Rovio Mobile, it was first released in December 2009, and since that time, has been downloaded 250 million times.
Former head of Marvel Studios, David Maisel, has signed on as special advisor to Rovio, and confirmed that the Angry Birds film project is currently in development.
"There has been so much chatter about an ‘Angry Birds’ movie, but it’s now real," Maisel told Variety. "The process is starting now."
In light of their global success, the company has expanded the Angry Bird franchise, including the sale of more than 2 million plush toys, along with plans for a cookbook, and short films.
"People are interacting with these characters six inches from them each time they play, and that creates an emotional connection," Maisel said. "…It’s a global thing that’s something I’ve never seen before. It will be exciting to expand (this intellectual property) within Hollywood."