The Angry Birds Movie Is a Much Needed Hit

Rovio, the company behind the Angry Birds franchise, has landed a big win: “The Angry Birds Movie”, a big-screen spin-off of the popular smartphone game, made $39m at the US box office on its debut weekend, toppling “Captain America: Civil War” from the top spot of the box office charts.

According to comScore’s estimates, the film has already earned more than $150 million internationally, indicating that Rovio’s bold move to sink $173 million (production and marketing costs) into the project could ultimately pay off.

Today’s chart illustrates that the success of Rovio’s first venture into the movie market will be a defining moment for the company’s future success. After its meteoric rise, the company recently struggled to maintain its positive momentum and saw both revenue and operating profit decline for three consecutive years. A box office hit could not only boost the company’s profits in the short term but also reignite interest in the Angry Birds brand of games and other products.