The idea to make a movie based on insanely-popular game "Angry Birds" was first introduced years ago, but the project had yet to gain any forward momentum. Now (fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how eager you are to see those birds fly in 3-D), it looks like the film will come to fruition after all, with sources telling The Wrap that veteran screenwriter Jon Vitti has been hired to pen a script.

Vitti, an Emmy-winning writer and producer on shows such as “The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill,” and “The Office,” is no stranger to turning existing stories into successful big screen features, having contributed his writing and consulting talents to films such as “The Simpsons Movie,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” and the first two “Ice Age” movies.

But he may face an uphill battle with "Angry Birds," which has no real plot and whose outcome is based purely on gamers’ performance. And turning video games into movies has always been a dicey prospect in Hollywood, both in terms of quality and finances; for every successful “Tomb Raider” or “Resident Evil,” there’s a “Doom” or “Super Mario Brothers” waiting in the wings.

Vitti will have the help of Catherine Winder, former Lucasfilm Animation and Fox Animation executive, who’ll serve as producer on the project alongside “Despicable Me”’s John Cohen.

“I’m very excited that Jon and Catherine have joined us, bringing with them their vast expertise,” said Mikael Hed, CEO of ‘Angry Birds’ maker Rovio Entertainment, which is backing the film financially. “I’m confident we are building the right team to deliver an amazing movie experience to our fans.”

The movie, to be released by Sony, is set to hit theaters sometime in July 2016. We’ll hold on to our slingshots until then.

Thirteen years after its release, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is getting a sequel.

The Weinstein Company announced Thursday that the movie, which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, is set to be followed up by “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II – The Green Destiny.” It will follow the story of “Iron Knight, Silver Vase,” the fifth book in author Wang Du Lu’s Crane-Iron Pentalogy, the same series on which the first “Crouching Tiger” film was based.

“Crouching Tiger” became a surprise international hit in 2000, grossing over $200 million worldwide and $128 million in the United States to become the nation’s highest-earning foreign language film of all time. The story, set in western China, centered around two warriors’ quest for a missing sword and the assassin who follows their every move.

“I loved Ang Lee’s film,” said TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein. “I thought it was a master class in directing, but I know we are in fantastic hands with Yuen Wo Ping directing the second installment of ‘Crouching Tiger.’ … [Yuen] is a first-class director and choreographer, and I am thrilled to be teaming up with him once more. With John Fusco’s incredible script and the dream team of [original stars] Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh we are in great shape.”

Weinstein, Yuen, and Yen will further discuss the project at the Cannes International Film Festival this weekend.

Matthew Michael Carnahan, who has written scripts for movies such as The Kingdom, State Of Play and worked extensively on the upcoming World War Z, is making the jump to the director’s chair for Violent Talent. He’s now recruited Tron Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund, Four Lions’ Riz Ahmed, RocknRolla’s Toby Kebbell and Vigilante’s Margot Robbie to lead the cast.Carnahan, as you might expect, has also written the script for the drama, which finds the main trio as three old friends looking to build a criminal empire in Chicago, which to them seems to be the best way to make it in life. Robbie will be a woman that Hedlund becomes involved with.Naturally, their rise to power will not be an easy one, but other details about the plot are being kept under wraps for now. Given that Cannes is about to kick off, you won’t be shocked to learn that the film’s rights will be sold off during the festival’s market.Hedlund will next be seen in the Coens’ Inside Llewyn Davis, due here on January 24 next year. Ahmed is in cinemas now with The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Kebbell is part of the cast for The East, which will hit our screens later this year. Robbie, meanwhile, is part of Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf Of Wall Street, which should be with us next year.

Tom Hanks could be sailing once again into Oscar contention with his intense performance in “Captain Phillips,” a movie based on true events.

In 2009, Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama was taken hostage by Somali pirates who captured his ship. It was the first time since the 19th century that a U.S. ship had been hijacked. In the movie, which is set for an Oct. 11 release, Hanks plays the titular captain, with “Bourne Ultimatum” director Paul Greengrass at the helm.

A new trailer features a nervous Hanks calling for support when he spies fast-approaching vessels. “I don’t like the look of that,” he mutters. But firehoses and explosives don’t deter the pirates from boarding or threatening to kill everybody.

“If you’re going to shoot somebody, shoot me!” Hanks pleads.

The performance could get Hanks back into leading man Oscar contention. In recent years, he’s been content with supporting roles in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” and “Cloud Atlas.” His last nomination for Best Actor was for 2000’s “Castaway” (also an ocean-based film).

Benjamin BrattWe doubt Al Pacino will have made many friends around the Universal and Illumination buildings this past week. Because he’s decided to jump ship from voicing the villain in Despicable Me 2, leaving the position vacant just a couple of months before the film is set to arrive in our cinemas. Fortunately for all involved, Benjamin Bratt is stepping in to replace him.Pacino signed on to voice the new baddie, Eduardo, back in February last year. And even he was a replacement for Javier Bardem, who had been in negotiations to take the part, but never made a deal. Now Pacino’s exit means some fast work for the sound and animation team as they race to get Bratt’s work recorded and edited in to the film.The sequel, which finds Gru (Steve Carell) recruited by the anti-villain league to fight the brand new threat, also features the voices of Kristen Wiig, Ken Jeong, Miranda Cosgrove, Steve Coogan, Russell Brand, Elsie Fisher, Dana Gaier and Moises Arias. Despicable Me 2 is still apparently set for release over here on June 28 before a US launch of July 2; it remains to be seen whether our date shifts due to the new change.

EXCLUSIVE… 2ND UPDATE: I’ve learned that Pete Levinsohn, president of Fox New Media and Digital Distribution for News Corp, wanted more of a domain at the studio but couldn’t convince Twentieth Century Fox film chairman Jim Gianopulos. So he’s leaving for a big Universal job – President and Chief Distribution Officer of Universal Pictures. In this role, Levinsohn will oversee worldwide home entertainment, new media and digital strategy, technology, and international and domestic television distribution. He will work alongside Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson, co-Chairman Donna Langley, and Universal Pictures President Jimmy Horowitz on all aspects of Universal’s business. Levinsohn and Horowitz will share responsibility for Universal’s business development and strategic planning division with Horowitz focusing on the production side.  President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution Nikki Rocco’s job doesn’t change: she heads the company’s North American theatrical distribution operations reporting to Fogelson.
Levinsohn will report to Fogelson who said in a statement issued after my scoop: “Peter is one of the foremost leaders in the space where technology meets entertainment. He is a seasoned strategic manager whose portfolio perfectly augments our leadership team. At this pivotal time in our business, Peter will be a real asset to Universal in meeting the challenges and harnessing the opportunities of an ever evolving business.” As the leader of Fox’s digital media business, Levinsohn drove digital media strategy at Fox Interactive Media and other departments. He’s a 25-year veteran of News Corp and took over Fox Interactive Media in November 2006. Before that he served a dual role as president of Fox Digital Media and president of Worldwide Pay Television and Video-on-Demand for Fox Filmed Entertainment.

This weekend boasts a big number of Specialty Releases ranging from star-powered features to smaller offerings with non-pro actors. Jeff Nichols’ Mud with Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon opens in over 300 theaters courtesy of Roadside Attractions, while Cinedigm’s Arthur Newman stars Emily Blunt, Colin Firth and Anne Heche. Sony Classics will platform release At Any Price, which stars Dennis Quaid, Kim Dickens, Zac Efron as well. The Weinstein Company with its Pacific adventure, Kon-Tiki. Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist with Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber and Kiefer Sutherland had a wild ride before it finally opened the Venice Film Festival last August and Terence Nance’s An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty received new life after winning a Gotham Award. Joining the fray this weekend are Torch Films’ Aquí Y Allá and Factory 25′s Sun Don’t Shine which will open in L.A. and New York respectively.
Mud
Director-writer: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Writer-director Jeff Nichols had the idea for Mud back in college during the ’90s. The film follows two teenage boys who encounter a fugitive (McConaughey) and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and to reunite him with his true love. “I was thinking who I’d like to hang out with on an island on the Mississippi River and that was Matthew McConaughey”, joked Nichols who spoke at the Apple Store in SoHo last weekend in New York. “And I liked him in Lone Star”. “He is the DNA of the project”, said McConaughey. “I’ve done over 40 films and I’ve never done one in which we stayed so closely to the script as on this film”. The Cinema Society hosted the New York premiere of Mud last Sunday and Nichols and McConaughey were joined by Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Paulson at the event and party at nightspot Harlow. Witherspoon did not join the Apple store conversation and she also notably cancelled scheduled appearances on GMA and Fallon following her recent arrest in Georgia. Asked if he thought Witherspoon’s turn from the public eye might affect the film’s opening weekend, Roadside Attractions chief Howard Cohen sounded upbeat. “We’re doing a big television buy and we have Matthew out everywhere”, he said. “We’re totally focused on the great things we’ve done and she’s great in the movie. It happened and it’s played out, but she’s great and did a ton of press ahead of time and she also attended the premiere and I don’t think it will have an impact”.
Similar to its rollout of Emperor, Roadside does not plan on the slow specialty platform release. It will open Mud in 90-plus markets on 363 screens. “I think this goes along with our strategy in general with a blitz of publicity and Matthew was on a lot of talk shows and we have a lot of things happening at once,” noted Cohen. “The world moves fast. Emperor frankly didn’t have amazing reviews but had a million dollar opening. I think this strategy of opening [comparatively wide] is [best] especially when films have stars in order to capitalize on publicity and social media. I think the old model has become outdated especially when the PR is front loaded. If a movie doesn’t have a star, it might be different though”. Roadside will be a bit more “ginger”, according to Cohen about how it will expand Mud in the coming weeks however, but it expects to take the film into additional locations around May 10th.

This will be a good year for content creators to put themselves on the block, researchers at PwC project today in a report about likely M&A activity in 2013. Corporate and private equity firms will be looking to bulk up on entertainment, driven in part by tech companies’ need for content that provides “a level of security on prospective cash flows,” the analysis says. Entertainment, media and communications companies “are ahead of the pack in pursuing deals, partnerships and joint ventures to address the accelerated pace of change in consumer behavior,” says PwC U.S. entertainment and media deals partner Bart Spiegel. “Media companies are investing in robust content-management systems and dynamic analytics to not only operate efficiently but also to take advantage of new opportunities.” Some buyers will want entertainment to serve growing overseas markets led by the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). PwC’s bullish forecast follows a robust year for dealmakers: There were 40 film/content transactions last year with a collective value of $9B — including Disney’s $4.1B acquisition of Lucasfilm — the report says. That’s up from 2011, when the industry had 39 deals valued at $1.1B. Forecasters also expect to see additional deals in cable (with buyers attracted to systems’ broadband services), broadcasting (another way to secure distribution) and publishing (Time Warner and Tribune are preparing to sell assets).

2ND UPDATE: Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Jimmy Fallon are in repeats tonight. But Conan O’Brien‘s show is original and Boston is his hometown so he comments on today’s bombings (below). So does Jimmy Kimmel (below). Also Craig Ferguson (video below) who notes during his cold open that, when he became an American citizen in 2008, he spoke at Faneuil Hall on July 4th at the invitation of Boston Mayor Tommy Menino:

CONAN O’BRIEN: We have a great show for you tonight.  But first, I have to mention what an upsetting and sad day it’s been. Boston is my hometown – it’s where I grew up, and it’s where my family lives.  So I just wanted to take a moment to say that – like everyone here – my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Boston and everyone who has been affected by this senseless act.  That said — it is our job to do a show. We’re going to try and entertain you the best we can. Which,  given our track record, gives you people a 20% chance of having a good time tonight.
JIMMY KIMMEL: Well – it was a terrible day. Very bad things happened today for no good reason – and our thoughts are with the people of Boston and everyone who is suffering as a result of the bombings at the marathon. It’s a disgusting thing. I don’t understand it. But my job is to make you laugh and so I will try to do that. And – I will probably fail. I’m failing already.

CRAIG FERGUSON: Hey everybody, good evening. Tonight’s show is a little bit different. Obviously the news of today is so horrendous that it would seem insensitive at best to say ‘It’s a great day for America,’ so I won’t be starting the show with that tonight. Is anyone else sick of this sh**? I seem to have to say that too often.
People say to me ‘Craig, your job is to make people laugh at the end of the day.’ And I think, yes, that’s true, but I’ve never professed to be any damn good at that. And, the thing is, people want their mind taken off it. And I think, well ok, if you want your mind taken off it, you know, watch a cartoon or a video or something. I understand it, it’s perfectly acceptable. I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to not want to think about it, but I can’t not think about it.
Also, I have a personal connection with the city of Boston. I have some history there. I have family there. When I became an American citizen in 2008, I spoke at Faneuil Hall on July 4, at the invitation of Tommy Menino who is the mayor of Boston, and one of the more colorful characters in American politics…. I’ve been there for the Fourth of July many times… and every cop in Boston looks like I’m his brother… My first stand up special in America, I shot it in Boston. I like that town . I’m appalled by this thing and when I watch it on these streets that I know, it’s horrifying.
If I have all this inside of me. If I have all this rage and anger and distress and upset inside of me, I’m not a good enough comedian to hide all that from you.

We blame Benedict Cumberbatch. No, not for the brand spanking new “cinemosaic” poster below – he simply allows his handsome countenance to be splashed across it. We mean for Star Trek Into Darkness apparently crashing the ticket servers at London’s BFI IMAX cinema. Yes, apparently Benny and the rest are now so popular that the demand for tickets to the first midnight IMAX screenings on May 9 is overloading the BFI’s servers. It’s the first time there has been such an overload since last year’s scramble to see The Dark Knight Rises, and surely a sign that Into Darkness looks certain to make at least some money.Star Trek Into Darkness, of course, finds Kirk (Chris Pine) and the crew finally gelling together as a unit, which will be useful when a new threat arises from the heart of the Federation. Together, the Enterprise family will have to combat the evil plans of the mysterious John Harrison (that Cumberbatch fella). The “cinemosaic” poster feels like a mash-up of the trailer and the many posters, and makes a change from the usual motion posters (though Into Darkness has already trodden that route).If you’re still trying to hold in your anticipation, or just busy attempting to buy tickets, keep the flame alive with the latest trailer below. And for loads more on the movie, check out the J.J. Abrams-crammed latest issue of Empire, on sale at all good newsagents and on the iPad.