Trolls Band Together is a 2023 American animated jukebox musical comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, based on the Good Luck Trolls dolls from Thomas Dam. It serves as the sequel to Trolls World Tour (2020), and the third installment in the Trolls franchise. The film was directed by Walt Dohrn, co-directed by Tim Heitz, and written by Elizabeth Tippet. Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Icona Pop, Anderson .Paak, Ron Funches, Kenan Thompson, Kunal Nayyar and Dohrn reprise their voice roles from its predecessors, with newcomers Eric André, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, RuPaul and Zosia Mamet joining the ensemble voice cast. In the film, Poppy (Kendrick) and Branch (Timberlake), who are officially a couple, attempt to rescue Floyd (Sivan) while reuniting Branch's brothers after the boyband phenomenon, BroZone, was disbanded.
Ideas for a third Trolls film began prior to the release of Trolls World Tour in April 2020, when Timberlake expressed interest in participating during his Apple Music takeover. DreamWorks Animation officially confirmed the third film's development in November 2021. New characters for the film were announced in March 2023, along with new cast members and the title. Despite being predominantly CGI animation, the film includes some 2D animation sequences with animation styles inspired by Yellow Submarine (1968) and Fantasia (1940). Theodore Shapiro, who previously composed the score for Trolls World Tour, returned to compose the score for this film.
Trolls Band Together was theatrically released in Denmark on October 12, 2023, and was released in the United States on November 17. The film has grossed $108 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot[]
In a flashback, Branch and his four older brothers John Dory, Spruce, Clay, and Floyd perform as a boyband called BroZone, but when their clashing egos prevent them from reaching the "Perfect Family Harmony", a powerful ability that Trolls can achieve when they are in complete sync, they argue and break up the band, while Branch is left alone to be raised by his grandmother.
In the present, Branch and Poppy attend Bridget and Gristle's wedding, but they are interrupted by John Dory, who came to seek Branch's assistance alongside their other brothers because Floyd has been captured by two teenage wannabe pop stars named Velvet and Veneer in a place called Mount Rageous and is held prisoner in a diamond perfume bottle that the siblings use to extract his essence to improve their singing. As the Perfect Family Harmony is the only thing that can destroy the bottle, Branch reluctantly agrees to help John Dory rescue Floyd with Poppy and Tiny Diamond, who wants to be taken seriously. They set out in John Dory's armadillo-like portable van named Rhonda.
They find Spruce on Vacay Island, a vacation resort, where he has changed his name to Bruce and started a family. Spruce is at first reluctant to help out, but soon caves in after his wife and kids prod him. They later find Clay at an abandoned Bergen miniature golf course called Hole 'N' Fun, inhabited by Putt-Putt Trolls, Pop Trolls who have been hiding from the Bergens in order to avoid being eaten by them after the last Trollstice.[lower-alpha 1] They also meet their leader Viva, who soon reveals herself to be Poppy's long-lost sister as she got separated from the other Trolls when they escaped Bergen Town years ago. At first, Poppy is delighted, but the visit turns sour when Viva attempts to stop the gang from leaving, and does not believe Poppy when she says that the Trolls and Bergens now have put aside their differences. They manage to escape, but not before Poppy and Viva separate with broken hearts.
Meanwhile, Velvet and Veneer continue to extract Floyd of his essence and Velvet reveals that she forged the note using Floyd's handwriting to John Dory in order to bait Floyd's brothers to come and rescue him. Things are made more serious when Velvet and Veneer's assistant, a giant living ball of hair named Crimp, invents shoulder-pad suits that enhances the extraction of a troll, which the siblings plan to use when they capture BroZone. The trolls make it to Mount Rageous, but once again, their clashing egos stop them form reaching the Perfect Family Harmony. When they agree to go their separate ways after they save Floyd, Branch abandons his brothers to go save Floyd after scolding them for how he lived his whole life alone after their grandmother got eaten. Branch, Poppy and Tiny locate Floyd, but are forced to abandon him when Velvet and Veneer come back and reveal that they captured the rest of Branch's brothers.
Soon, Branch and Poppy confront Velvet and Veneer when they start mingling with a crowd of fans, prompting them to drive away in their limo. In the ensuing chase, Velvet and Veneer begin using the shoulder-pads to extract the essence out of Branch’s brothers in order to put on a show, but Branch and Poppy are helped by Viva, who has joined forces with Bridget and Gristle after they stumbled onto the golf course during their honeymoon. Seeing that Floyd is just about out of talent, Branch and his brothers perform the Perfect Family Harmony with Branch realizing that they just need to be together and they break free of their diamond prisons, but Floyd loses the last of his essence and dies but revives shortly. Veneer, who has been second-guessing him and Velvet's machinations, publicly confesses their transgressions, and they are sent to prison while Branch and Poppy share a kiss. The Trolls return to Vacay Island to witness BroZone's comeback concert and meet another band Branch was a part of, Kismet.
Voice cast[]
- Anna Kendrick as Queen Poppy, queen of the Pop Trolls and Branch's girlfriend
- Justin Timberlake as Branch, a survivalist Pop Troll and Poppy's boyfriend
- Iris Dohrn as Baby Branch; he was previously voiced by Liam Henry in the first film
- Camila Cabello as Viva, Poppy's long-lost older sister and the leader of the Putt-Putt Trolls
- Eric André as John Dory, the oldest of Branch's brothers and the former leader of BroZone
- Kid Cudi as Clay, the third oldest of Branch's brothers and a former member of BroZone
- Troye Sivan as Floyd, the fourth oldest of Branch's brothers and a former member of BroZone
- Daveed Diggs as Spruce, the second oldest of Branch's brothers and a former member of BroZone
- Amy Schumer as Velvet, Veneer's older twin sister
- Andrew Rannells as Veneer, Velvet's younger twin brother
- Zosia Mamet as Crimp, an assistant to Velvet and Veneer
- RuPaul as Miss Maxine, the wedding officiant for the wedding between King Gristle Jr. and Bridget
- Zooey Deschanel as Bridget, a former scullery maid
- Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Gristle Jr., the king of the Bergens and Bridget's fiancé
- Icona Pop as Satin and Chenille, twin Pop Trolls that are conjoined by their hair
- Ron Funches as Cooper, one of the princes of the Funk Trolls
- Anderson .Paak as Prince D, one of the princes of the Funk Trolls and Cooper's younger twin brother
- Kenan Thompson as Tiny Diamond, a baby glittery Hip-Hop Troll and Guy Diamond's son
- Kunal Nayyar as Guy Diamond, a glittery Pop Troll and Tiny Diamond's single father
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Mr. Dinkles, Biggie's pet worm
- Patti Harrison as Brandy, Spruce's wife on Vacay Island
- Walt Dohrn as:
- King Peppy, the former king of the Pop Trolls and Poppy and Viva’s father.
- Cloud Guy, an anthropomorphic cloud.
- The Interdimensional Hustler Traveler
- GloZell as Grandma Rosiepuff, the grandmother of Branch and his brothers. GloZell reprises her role from the first film.
- Dillon Francis as Kid Ritz, a DJ from Mount Rageous
- NSYNC as Kismet, Branch's old friends and other bandmates.
- Chris Kirkpatrick as Trickee
- Joey Fatone as Ablaze
- JC Chasez as Hype
- Lance Bass as Boom
Production[]
On April 9, 2020, Justin Timberlake expressed interest in participating in the future Trolls films during his Apple Music takeover, "I hope we make, like, seven Trolls movies, because it literally is the gift that keeps on giving".[6] On November 22, 2021, it was announced that a third Trolls film would be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.[7] Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake were confirmed to reprise their voice roles as Poppy and Branch. On March 28, 2023, with the release of the first official trailer, new cast members of the film were officially announced, including Eric André, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, RuPaul, and Zosia Mamet. Walt Dohrn returned to direct the third film after doing so in its predecessor, while Gina Shay returned to serve as producer. By the same month, Kendal Cronkhite-Shaindlin was originally serving as Production Designer, Cronkhite-Shaindlin was replaced by Ruben Perez. Tim Heitz was later announced as co-director. The same day of these announcements, DreamWorks Animation revealed the official title, Trolls Band Together.[8]
According to Shay, the idea for the film came about right after Trolls (2016). Although Trolls Band Together was predominantly CGI animation, the film includes some 2D animation sequences done by Titmouse, Inc.,[9] with animation styles inspired by Yellow Submarine (1968) and Fantasia (1940).[10]
Music[]
- Main article: Trolls Band Together (soundtrack)
On March 6, 2023, Theodore Shapiro was confirmed to compose the score for Trolls Band Together, returning from its predecessor.[11] On September 14, 2023, following the release of the second trailer, DreamWorks announced that NSYNC would perform an original song for the film, called "Better Place" marking the group's first song in 22 years.[12]
Release[]
Theatrical[]
Trolls Band Together began releasing in international markets, starting with Denmark on October 12, 2023,[4] and was later released in the United States on November 17. Unlike Trolls World Tour (2020), which was simultaneously released on video on demand in addition to a limited number of theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was released exclusively in theaters.[7]
Marketing[]
Universal and DreamWorks collaborated with several brands and product partnerships to promote the film for its marketing campaign, including ShineWater Beverages,[13] ICEE,[14] Shake Shack,[15] Southwest Airlines,[16] Candy,[17] CAMP Store,[18] and Puma,[19] as well as the international brands such as Zing Flowers.[20]
A video game based on the film, titled Trolls: Remix Rescue, was released on October 27, 2023 by DreamWorks Animation and Game Mill Entertainment for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC. In this game, the Snack Pack must embark on a quest to save the Troll Kingdom after Smooth Chaz take over the place to hypnotize them with the hypnotic saxophone, and the game also has a story that takes place after the events of the second film Trolls: World Tour.[21]
Home media[]
As part of Universal's deal with Netflix, the film will stream on Peacock for the first four months of the pay-TV window, then will move to Netflix for the next ten, and then will return to Peacock for the remaining four.[22][23]
Reception[]
Box office[]
As of November 19, 2023[update], Trolls Band Together has grossed $31.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $76.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $108.1 million.[4][5]
In the United States and Canada, Trolls Band Together was released alongside Next Goal Wins, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and Thanksgiving, and is projected to gross $27–32 million from 3,800 theaters in its opening weekend.[24][3] The film made $9.4 million on its first day, including $1.3 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut $30.6 million, finishing second behind The Hunger Games.[25]
Critical response[]
Based on 61 professional critic reviews, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 5.8% of those reviews were positive, with an average rating of 69/10. On the website, the critics' consensus reads, "Trolls Band Together serves up another amusing, eye-catching outing that should entertain young fans of the franchise while remaining perfectly painless for parents." Using a weighted average calculator, Metacritic assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, same as the first film, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an 85% overall positive score, with 67% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[25]
Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, writing, "Elizabeth Tippet's screenplay garners laughs thanks to the sheer volume of jokes (the hit-to-miss ratio is pretty unbalanced), and there are several amusing one-liners about the music business."[26] Tatiana Hullender of Screen Rant earned the film 2.5 out of 5 score, writing "Trolls Band Together shows clear signs of franchise fatigue, but a few new songs and vivid animation choices keep it afloat a little longer."[27]
Accolades[]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 15, 2023 | Original Song – Animated Film | "Better Place" – Shellback, Justin Timberlake, and Amy Allen | Won | [28] |
| Song – Onscreen Performance (Film) | NSYNC – "Better Place" | Nominated | |||
| Music Supervision – Film | Angela Leus | Won | |||
| Music Themed Film or Musical | Trolls Band Together | Won | |||
| Soundtrack Album | Trolls Band Together | Nominated |
Notes[]
Notes[]
References[]
- ↑ Trolls Band Together - Production Notes.
- ↑ Trolls Band Together (G) (September 20, 2023).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rubin, Rebecca (November 15, 2023). Box Office: ‘Hunger Games’ Prequel ‘Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Targets $50 Million Debut (en-US).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Trolls Band Together - Box Office Mojo.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Trolls Band Together (2023) - Financial Information.
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 D'Alessandro, Anthony (2021-11-22). 'Trolls 3' Lands Release Date, DreamWorks Animation Title Will Be Exclusive Theatrical (en-US).
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (2023-03-28). Universal & DreamWorks Set Cast, Official Title For Trolls Threequel Bowing This Fall (en-US).
- ↑ How the 'Trolls Band Together' Team Tuned Up a World-Expanding DreamWorks Reunion (2 October 2023).
- ↑ Zahed, Ramin (March 28, 2023). Watch: DreamWorks/Universal Release Trailer, Poster for Trolls Band Together.
- ↑ Theodore Shapiro to Return for DreamWorks Animation's Trolls 3 (March 6, 2023).
- ↑ Hall, Gerrad (2023-09-14). It's official: NSYNC are reuniting with new music for 'Trolls Band Together' (en-US).
- ↑ ShineWater Limited Edition Trolls Cans are Arriving Now (November 2, 2023).
- ↑ The ICEE Company® Announces Partnership with DreamWorks Animation's Trolls Band Together (September 15, 2023).
- ↑ Shake Shack Bands Together with DreamWorks Trolls Band Together For Holiday Trio of Shakes (November 1, 2023).
- ↑ Southwest Airlines has a Trolls-themed plane — and it’s flying out of Dallas today (October 6, 2023).
- ↑ Candy announces brand partnership with new Trolls film Band Together (October 12, 2023).
- ↑ DreamWorks & CAMP Partner for Immersive Experience to Celebrate Trolls Band Together Release (October 10, 2023).
- ↑ All That Glitters is Trolls! to Celebrate Dreamworks Animation’s Trolls Band Together Universal Products & Experiences Adds Puma to Best-in-Class Partners (October 10, 2023).
- ↑ Don’t forget to see DreamWorks’ Trolls Band Together, in cinemas now! Celebrate the release of this new adventure with our colourful and loveable Brozone Bandtastic Letterbox Flowers #TrollsBandTogether #JoyThatBlooms (October 31, 2023).
- ↑ DreamWorks Trolls Remix Rescue review (PS5) (November 7, 2023).
- ↑ Hayes, Dade (December 9, 2021). NBCUniversal's New Theatrical Window Scheme To Bring Films To Peacock After As Few As 45 Days Of Release. Deadline Hollywood.
- ↑ Moon, Mariella (2021-07-14). Netflix extends exclusive rights to Universal's animated films in the US (en).
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 15, 2023). 'Hunger Games: Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes' Looks To Sing $100M+ Worldwide Opening – Preview (en-US).
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 17, 2023). ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes’ Begins With Thursday Previews At $5.75M – Box Office Update (en-US).
- ↑ Scheck, Frank (November 14, 2023). Trolls Band Together Review: Groan-Worthy Threequel Mines Justin Timberlake's Boy-Band Past.
- ↑ Hullender, Tatiana (November 14, 2023). Trolls Band Together Review: Slick But Soulless Production Still Appeals To Kids.
- ↑ 2023 HMMA WINNERS AND NOMINEES (en-US).
External links[]
- Official website
- Trolls Band Together at IMDbLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 36: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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