Joining Pikachu, Angry Birds Gets Its Own Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon

Rovio is creating a massive Angry Birds balloon for this year's 89th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Finnish developer has announced. The balloon bird--a 45.5-foot tall, 29.7-foot wide, and 44-foot long version of the bird "Red"--will soar across the sky in Manhattan in a bid to promote next year's film.

The huge, helium-filled Red carries an egg and looks like a football player protecting the ball.

In a statement, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer Amy Kule said Angry Birds is one of the "most popular and recognizable" franchises on the planet. "With his trademark angry look, but lovable personality, Red will protect his precious egg as he takes flight down the streets of Manhattan," she said.

This year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be held Thursday, November 26, from 9 AM - 12 PM. The Angry Birds movie, meanwhile, hits theaters on May 20, 2016. The animated film is being produced by Sony Pictures and is voiced by celebrities like Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, and Danny McBride. For more, you can watch the movie's first trailer and check out the movie's full voice cast.

Event organizers are expecting more than 3.5 million people to attend the parade in person, with another 50 million-plus watching on TV.

Other video game franchises represented with balloons at this year's parade include Pokemon (Pikachu) and Skylanders (Eruptor). These add to other balloons for popular media characters like SpongeBob, Thomas the Tank Engine, the red Power Ranger, Snoopy and Woodstock, Jake & Finn from Adventure Time, and the Pillsbury Doughboy, among others.