The mobile game Angry Birds has amassed a cult following since it debuted in December 2009. Now, reports are making the rounds that there is enough of a following to warrant a film adaptation. Variety reports that David Maisel (formally of Marvel Studios) has been brought onboard to guide the project.
You might not know Maisel by name, but you may know his work. Up until 2005, Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox helped finance Marvel superhero films in theaters. “X-Men” and “Spider-Man” franchises are examples. Maisel was an integral part in the restructuring of Marvel’s film division, where he helped secure over $500 million in financing so Marvel could finance their own films without assistance from outside studios. This led to Iron Man which opened the door for The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger (all of which Maisel is credited as an executive producer) and next year’s highly anticipated The Avengers. He left Marvel in 2009 after Disney bought the company for $4 billion.
Rovio Mobile, the Finnish game developer behind the “Angry Birds” (burgeoning) franchise, looks to build upon its successful series rather than focus on new concepts, at least for the time being. Rovio CEO Mikael Hed states: “We're building a media company and have always been interested in moving further into the entertainment space…but we are taking it one step at a time so that we can use our strength to build an important entertainment presence from outside of the major studios."
Rovio doesn’t seem to be putting off the idea of working with major studios completely. After all, they need someone domestic to help distribute their film on a worldwide level if they want any hope of expanding further into the entertainment field. Maisel will be the Financial Advisor and Executive Producer for this project.