Angry Bird balloon to take flight in annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade

The upcoming 89th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade gets a rare bird, the first ever Angry Birds balloon.

A giant helium-filled version of the Angry Bird character Red will join the parade on November 26 in New York City. It’s part of the promotion for The Angry Birds Movie, coming to theaters in summer 2016.

The balloon -- 45.5 feet tall and 44 feet long -- depicts Red as if running and carrying an egg like a football.

“Angry Birds is a worldwide phenomenon and we are thrilled to have Red join the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon line-up this year, taking his place among some of the world’s most popular and recognizable characters,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, in a statement. “With his trademark angry look, but lovable personality, Red will protect his precious egg as he takes flight down the streets of Manhattan and into the hearts of millions of spectators lining the Parade route and tens of millions more watching from homes across the country.”

Traditionally, more than 3.5 million spectators line the Manhattan parade route and more than 50 million watch the parade on TV. Among the other balloons expected are Snoopy, Hello Kitty and Pikachu. Angry Birds is a phenomenon of its own, with players having downloaded more than 3 billion Angry Birds games.

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