Last week I had a chance to play Angry Birds with Margaret Atwood for a new TV project I'm working on. The tech-savvy author caught on to the game immediately, like millions others have. Once she demolished a few evil green pigs, she was egging me on for tips on how to level up.

While I'm not convinced Atwood will forgo her writing schedule to toss birds, if she's watching the Super Bowl on Sunday she'll recognize her new friends in a trailer for "Rio." This new animated bird movie will feature some of our feathered friends from the mobile game that has now been downloaded more than 50 million times. Sunday's advertisement to promote the flick will feature a special code notifying Angry Birds fans about a special level.

And it doesn't end there. Once you complete the new milestone you'll have a chance to win a trip to Rio de Janiero on March 22 to see the movie premiere. On this same day a new version of the game will go online, called Angry Birds Rio. If you're having trouble keeping up with all the going-ons of this cult-like app, I don't blame you.

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Here's just a quick glance of the Angry Birds empire.

As the app maker Rovio says on its website (http://www.rovio.com), "Lemme tell ya, these ain't no ordinary finches we're talking about." Right they are. Even the Wall Street Journal took an opportunity a couple weeks ago to trace Angry Birds to the Dawn of Man. As the article explains, the popularity of the game where one lobs objects towards structures is simply building on the evolution of humanity. "Until 10,000 years ago, most or even all human beings relied on this talent for gathering at least some of their food -- by killing it at a distance."

If I do find Atwood holed up inside her home catapulting chirping cartoon birds, I'll make sure to let her know it's only natural to be hooked such a game. Play on.