Rovio hopes the Angry Birds Movie can help turnaround losses
The games company behind addictive app Angry Birds is hoping a Hollywood outing on the big screen can turn around its fortunes.
The Finnish firm has reported an operating loss of €13m for the year, on revenues of €142m
“As expected, 2015 was a challenging year for Rovio partly due to heavy investments in our future success," said chief executive Kati Levoranta.
"However, we have managed to improve our efficiency and turn around the company. This year’s first quarter is already profitable and the outlook for the rest of the year is positive."
He said expectations for the film, due out in May, are "very strong". "2016 is a transformative year for Rovio highlighted by the release of our major global feature film The Angry Birds Movie this May," said Levoranta.
Rovio Animation Company chairman Mikael Hed said: "It has long been our dream to take Angry Birds to the big screen. I am so proud of the movie. It has a great, funny story, brought to life by an amazing cast accompanied by gorgeous animation and music. I can't wait for everyone to see it."