Check Out The First Pictures From The Angry Birds Movie

‘Angry Birds’, the game that riveted three billion people to their smartphones, is heading to the big screen and now we have our first look at the birds and pigs that will be facing off.

The first cartoon renderings of the creatures have been unveiled in Entertainment Weekly by Rovio, the game’s developer.

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There’s that big red one, the toucan-style one that’s a bit like a boomerang, the yellow triangle-y one, and a couple of the wacky-looking green pigs.

A vague idea of the plot is now also out there – Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis) is a bird with anger management issues on his all-bird island, alongside Chuck (Josh Gad) and Bomb (Danny McBride), all of whom are livid at the prospect of their home being invaded by green pigs.

Producer John Cohen, of 'Despicable Me’ fame, said: “The question Rovio gets more than anything is ‘Why are these birds so angry?’

“This is the origin story for how that conflict came to exist between birds and little green piggies.”

The movie also stars Peter Dinklage, Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph.

But it comes at a time of mixed fortunes for Rovio.

While the first 'Angry Birds’ game sold a staggering three billion downloads, the second instalment has flopped, by comparison.

Rovio says the game has been downloaded 50 million times, but so far it remains below the top 50 in the chart of highest-grossing apps on Apple’s iOS App Store.

The Finnish developer also announced that it had to lay off 260 people last month in a restructuring move, though none of the staff working in the movie department have been affected by the job losses.

Meanwhile, its profits fell a staggering 75% in 2014 as hype around the game and its merchandise seemed to finally be fading.

“Fundamental changes are needed to ensure Rovio succeeds in its global ambitions to be the leading entertainment company with mobile games at its heart,” said Rovio CEO Pekka Rantala in a statement.

“In our current financial condition we must now put focus on where we are at our best: in creating magnificent gaming experiences, in producing an amazing animation movie and in delighting our fans with great products,“

Let’s hope the movie gets those birds flying again…

Image credits: Entertainment Weekly/Rovio