Angry Birds 2 gets a release date and new creative team

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Dry those parental tears, little lamb, we all knew this was coming. Columbia Pictures and Rovio Entertainment have announced that THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2 will spread its wings on September 20, 2019 in an effort to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the original mobile game that inspired the 2016 Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly-directed animated film.

That's not all, though. We've also learned that the new film is set to be directed by Disney and Sony Pictures Animation vet Thurop Van Orman (ADVENTURE TIME) with John Rice (RICK AND MORTY) acting as co-director on the project. Penning the follow-up to THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE will be Peter Ackerman, whose credits include FX's THE AMERICANS and Blue Sky's ICE AGE. John Cohen will produce with Sony Pictures Imageworks set to handle the animation in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation.

While some of us are busy rolling our eyes at the thought of there being another one of these films out in the wild, Kati Levoranta, CEO of Rovio Entertainment is very excited about the project, and offered this statement as a way of voicing her enthusiasm, “We are thrilled to be teaming up again with Sony Pictures after the fantastic cooperation in the first movie and I can’t wait to experience the new journey in the upcoming film. Rovio is continuing to focus on creating exciting new stories and experiences around our games and we’re eager to take fans back into the vibrant Angry Birds world on the big screen."

Echoing Kati's zeal for the future of the angry birds dive bombing dim-witted green pigs on the big screen was President of Columbia Pictures, Sanford Panitch, who said, "The Angry Birds Movie took the world by storm last year, creating a whole new legion of fans worldwide. “We had an incredible experience working with our friends and creative partners at Rovio, and now we – including our team at Sony Pictures Imageworks – are ready to launch into this next adventure.”

Think what you want about THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE, but the numbers don't lie, and that animated wallet vampire made some big-time money for Rovio when it was in theaters last year. How much, you ask? Well, it was actually the second-highest-grossing video game feature adaptation of all time! I'm not kidding, it grossed $350 million worldwide against its $73 million dollar budget. So yeah, you do the math and then tell me all about your feelings. 

While I'm not looking forward to another Angry Birds movie, I'm sure that there are plenty of kids who are. You really have to wonder though, with how long it takes animators to release these films, will THE ANGRY BIRDS still be relevant in the year 2019? Then again, I would have sworn that they were a defunct property back in 2016 as well, and boy was I proven wrong! 

For the moment, there are no indications as to whtehr or not the film's original cast of actors or characters will return for when THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2 destructively swoops into theaters beginning on September 20, 2019.