(New York, NY – March 18, 2016) – Red, the starring animated character voiced by US star Jason Sudeikis in the upcoming “The Angry Birds Movie,” was named Honorary Ambassador for Green on the International Day of Happiness today at the United Nations.
The appointment of Red is part of the #AngryBirdsHappyPlanet campaign to help the world body promote the International Day of Happiness, which is observed on March 20 each year, and encourage people to take action against climate change and its impacts.
The International Day of Happiness recognizes that Gross Domestic Product alone cannot measure the wealth and well-being of a country’s population and a more inclusive, equitable, balanced and sustainable approach to growth and development is key to being happy.
After United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named Red as Honorary Ambassador for Green, the campaign was presented to hundreds of young people in the iconic General Assembly Hall of the United Nations.
The presentation included the movie’s US stars Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad and Maya Rudolph as well as producers John Cohen and Catherine Winder, who asked the attendees for their support to make the Angry Birds happy by doing their part to take action against climate change. They presented the “Help Red Go Green” materials including public service announcements created to support the campaign. By participating in the #AngryBirdsHappyPlanet campaign, individuals can make the Angry Birds happy and “Help Red Go Green” by posting photos and messages to show how they are protecting our planet by recycling, taking public transportation and conserving water, for example.
“The Angry Birds have entertained millions of people around the world — and now they are part of making the world a better place,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “We are proud to give Red a reason to go Green. There is no better way to mark the International Day of Happiness than to have our animated ambassador raise awareness about the importance of addressing climate change to create a safer, more sustainable and happier future for all.”
“We are incredibly honored that Red from ‘The Angry Birds Movie’ has been named as the Honorary Ambassador for Green. While Red may still look angry, we know that he’s smiling on the inside. As we say in our ‘Help Red Go Green’ campaign, nothing makes an angry bird happier than a healthy planet. In partnership with the UN, we are very excited to help raise awareness of critical global issues such as climate change,” said John Cohen, producer of “The Angry Birds Movie” and “Despicable Me.”
For more information: www.angrybirdshappyplanet.com
About International Day of Happiness
March 20 has been established as the annual International Day of Happiness. In 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to growth and development that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples” and all 193 United Nations member states have adopted a resolution calling for happiness to be given greater priority.
About the United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. Today, 193 countries are Member States of the world body.
About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. www.undp.org.
About The United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org
About “The Angry Birds Movie”
“The Angry Birds Movie” will be released in theaters by Columbia Pictures globally in May 2016.
In the 3D animated comedy, The Angry Birds Movie, we’ll finally find out why the birds are so angry.
The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds – or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red (Jason Sudeikis, We’re the Millers, Horrible Bosses), a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck (Josh Gad in his first animated role since Frozen), and the volatile Bomb (Danny McBride, This is the End, Eastbound and Down) have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.
Featuring a hilarious, all-star voice cast that includes Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids, Sisters), Bill Hader (Trainwreck, Inside Out), and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), as well as Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters), Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), Hannibal Buress (Daddy’s Home, Broad City), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Sisters), Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street), Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black), Latin music sensation Romeo Santos, YouTube stars Smosh (Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla), Billy Eichner (“Billy on the Street”), and country music superstar Blake Shelton, who co-writes and performs the original song “Friends,” the Columbia Pictures/Rovio Entertainment film is directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis and produced by John Cohen and Catherine Winder. The screenplay is by Jon Vitti, from a story by Mikael Hed & Mikko Pöllä & John Cohen, and executive produced by Mikael Hed and David Maisel.
ABOUT ROVIO
Rovio Entertainment Ltd. is a global entertainment media company. Headquartered in Finland and with studios across the world, Rovio is the creator of Angry Birds, the casual mobile game that changed an industry and became an international phenomenon. Today Angry Birds is not only the most downloaded game of all time, it is a renowned entertainment brand that has branched out into animation, books, licensing and more. The Angry Birds Movie is slated for release globally in May 2016. For additional information, go to http://www.rovio.com
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.