Interview: Pete Oswald, Production Designer of the “Angry Birds” Movie

Posted on August 15, 2016 at 3:52 pm

Pete Oswald, production designer of the Angry Birds movie, talked to me at Comic-Con about adapting the iconic game for the big screen. Angry Birds is out on DVD/Blu-ray this week.

He said his task was to “rebrand characters everyone already knows, creating a movie that is fresh but still recognizable.” In the game, the characters are stylized bouncing balls. In a movie, they have to show emotion, and they have to be appealing and likeable enough to hold the audience’s attention for 90 minutes. He wanted them to be “fluffy and huggable, but still look like birds with feathers.” The setting needed more detail and personality, too. He wanted to bring “very vibrant color, naturalistic but bold” to “the world of Bird Island.” “We started out impressionistic, with pops of colors,” he told me. But if you look carefully, the bird designs are repeated throughout, with even the leaves on the trees shaped like bird feathers. And even the chaos and action scenes had to be fun, not scary. “How do buildings collapse in a comedic way?”

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Contest: Win an Angry Birds Book from National Geographic!

Posted on May 18, 2016 at 3:32 pm

Are you an Angry Birds fan? Or a nature lover? Either way, you’ll love this great and gorgeously illustrated book about the Angry Birds and the real-life birds and environments that inspired them. I have two to give away!

Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Angry Birds in the subject line and tell me your favorite bird. Don’t forget your address! (U.S. addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on May 25, 2016. Good luck!

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Clip: Angry Birds — Uncivilized War

Posted on May 12, 2016 at 3:25 pm

You think only the Avengers can mix it up?

The “Angry Birds” movie opens May 20, 2016

Rio Meets the Angry Birds!

Posted on February 2, 2011 at 2:59 pm

The hottest game around is partnering with the new animated film “RIO” for a Super Bowl ad that unlocks a secret to the game — and possibly a trip to Brazil!
“RIO” is a 3D comedy-adventure, from the “Ice Age” people about Blu (“The Social Network’s” Jesse Eisenberg). He’s a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda (voice of Leslie Mann) in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota. Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel (voice of Anne Hathaway), Blu’s female counterpart. Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers. With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes. Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return home to Linda. Featuring the voices of Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, and the Black-Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, the movie opens on April 15.
Watch for the Super Bowl ad for the movie to find a frame with an embedded code that direct you to a special level on ANGRY BIRDS, Rovio’s blockbuster game. That level will take you to a RIO sweepstakes.
The sweepstakes winner will attend RIO’s world premiere in Rio de Janeiro on March 22. That same day, Fox and Rovio will launch the “Angry Birds Rio” app.
Did you miss the ad? Want to see it again? The spot will be available across the web, including YouTube, after the Super Bowl.
The rules:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Starts 2/6/11 at 4:00 pm PT, and Ends 3/1/2011 at 11:59 pm PT. Open only to legal U.S. citizens, 18 and older and is subject to Official Rules. For Official Rules visit http://www.rio-themovie.com/officialrules. For alternate means of entry without a purchase, visit http://www.rio-themovie.com/win. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. Void in Puerto Rico, and where prohibited. Winner and guest are each required to have a valid U.S. passport and to obtain a visa to Brazil.

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