The product LEGO The Angry Birds Movie which used to beLEGO Angry Birds as confirmed on June 8, 2015. The set of products will tie-in with The Angry Birds Movie, and will be for sale in Spring 2016.
Rovio Announcement
LAS VEGAS, Nevada– 8th June 2015– Rovio, makers of Angry Birds, the most downloaded mobile game ever, today announced a partnership with The LEGO Group to develop a line of construction toys. LEGO® Angry Birds will be available in spring 2016 to coincide with the release of The Angry Birds Movie, a full-length feature film based on the popular gaming franchise.
“The LEGO brand has an unparalleled ability to connect with people through products that spark creativity and imagination. We’re really excited to build experiences together with this amazing best-in-class partner,” said Pekka Rantala, Chief Executive Officer of Rovio.
“We are excited to bring Angry Birds to life in LEGO form, given the popularity of the game and its characters with fans of all ages, which will only be amplified by the forthcoming film,” said Jill Wilfert, Vice President, licensing & entertainment at The LEGO Group. “We seek partnership with globally relevant properties that offer a unique and rewarding play experience to our fans, and our designers are having fun developing building sets that leverage the engaging play and deconstruction found in the Angry Birds game.”
At the larger end of the scale, there's "Pig City Showdown", a destructible city-scape with Red, pink bird Stella, and two pigs, and "Piggy Pirate Ship", a huge galleon with another Red minifig, explosive black bird Bomb, Pirate Pig, and Leonard, a long-suffering minordomo pig from the film. "King Pig's Castle" is the crowning achievement of the series though -- a massive build that comes with three porcine characters, yet another Red, and a bigfig of Mighty Eagle.
Given the franchise's focus on knocking down pig buildings, expect all kits to feature similar easy-to-destroy mechanics as found in the Lego Minecraft kits. Lego has also launched an Angry Birds minisite for the line.
Lego aside, there's a lot riding on The Angry Birds Movie. Developer Rovio announced major job losses in August 2015, and lost CEO Pekka Rantala in December. A new surge of interest in the property could be a lifeline for the gaming company.
The Angry Birds movie opens 20 May 2016, and also features actors Josh Gad as Chuck, Danny McBride as Bomb, Peter Dinklage as the Mighty Eagle, Maya Rudolph as Matilda, and Bill Hader as Leonard. The Lego kits will be on sale from April.
