‘Trolls Band Together’ Sneak Peek at Annecy Festival

When DreamWorks purchased the “Trolls” franchise in 2013, it seemed like an odd revival. The furry creatures had been lost in the 1990’s after being the toy fad of a generation. 

Since then, DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures managed to turn this IP back into a multi-million dollar success story, powered by catchy songs from star-studded casts and topped with glitter, lots of it. Clips from the third film, due to be released on Nov. 17 in the U.S, were presented Thursday at France’s Annecy Animation Festival, the world’s biggest toon fest, in front of an electrified audience. 

Introduced by director Walt Dohrn and producer Gina Shay (returning for their third “Trolls”film together), along with co-director Tim Heitz, the whimsical world of “Trolls Band Together” unveiled itself as a richer and brighter universe than ever, leaving fans’ eyes sparkling.  

“We wanted to go even further than the previous films,” said Dohrn, “by expanding the world we created and bringing more of our influences such as ‘Yellow Submarine,’ ‘The Wall.’  And every Boys Band there is, from Backstreet Boys to N’Sync.” 

This freedom is evidently allowed by the impressive success of “Trolls World Tour”, which grossed  $47 million at the international box office (despite being released while COVID-19 was in full force) and another $100 million on streaming platforms in its first few weekends, shaking up the industry. 

Now, as audiences can again taste the pleasure of the big screen, DreamWorks’ teams look to have tried to surpass themselves to deliver mind-blowing landscapes and awe-inspiring musical choreographies that push the boundaries of CG animation. 

A world where duo Branch and Poppy (Timberlake and Kendrick), now an item, face superstar villains Velvet and Veneer to save Branch’s long-lost brother, while resurrecting legendary Trolls Band BroZone. With five original songs by Justin Timberlake and composer Theodore Shapiro, pop-loving teenagers who like Timberlake look to be in for a real treat. 

“It’s a blend between ‘Fast and Furious,’ ‘West Side Story,’ and James Bond on mushrooms.” Dorhn said at Annecy to describe the upcoming feature. A balance between comedic dialogue, endearing characters and slick dance moves induced long applause and  riffs of laughter with its visual comedy and catchy punchlines.

“We had the chance to raise the stakes higher with this new film. And that’s what we wanted to share with ‘Trolls’ fans around the world. More modern, more colorful settings, while keeping the Trolls spirit intact”, concluded Dorhn and Heitz.” 

“Also, we added Putt Putt Trolls living a horror-like minigolf course. Because who wouldn’t want to see that?”

For Margie Cohn, president of DreamWorks Animation, “these groundbreaking designs and beautiful characters are what make this new ‘Trolls’ movie the juke-box party that you don’t want to miss.”