MUMBAI: The popular video game 'Angry Birds' will make the transition to the big screen with a film. Rovio Entertainment has announced that comedy writer Jon Vitti will write the screenplay for the upcoming animated 3D film. Additionally, veteran producer Catherine Winder is joining the production team that includes producer John Cohen and executive producer David Maisel. The movie is slated for a 1 July 2016 release and will to be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures.

Rovio Entertainment CEO Mikael Hed said, "I'm very excited that Jon and Catherine have joined us, bringing with them their vast expertise. I'm confident we are building the right team to deliver an amazing movie experience to our fans"

Cohen said, "I'm thrilled to have Jon and Catherine joining the project. Jon is one of the funniest writers I know, and we're looking forward to working with him to bring the birds and pigs to life on the big screen. Catherine is a fantastic producer, with over 20 years of film and television experience, and I'm very excited to have her as a part of our filmmaking team"

Angry Birds is one of the world's biggest entertainment franchises, starting in 2009 with the original mobile game that remains the number one paid app of all time. Angry Birds has expanded rapidly into entertainment, publishing, and licensing to become a beloved international brand.

The upcoming movie marks Rovio's first foray into feature films, although fans have already been introduced to the Angry Birds world with the weekly 'Angry Birds' Toons animated series. Rovio launched the series in March through its Angry Birds apps, as well as on select video-on-demand channel providers, Smart TVs, connected devices, and on select TV networks around the world. Paving the way for a full-length feature film, Angry Birds Toons has been a massive success for Rovio clocking in over 150 million views from the Angry Birds apps alone within the first six weeks.