As Trolls (2016) turns 10, it is easy to remember the color, the hair and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” But the road from toy line to animated musical was full of detours. These are the details fans still ask about.
It was almost a very different Trolls
DreamWorks announced plans for a film based on the Troll toyline as early as 2010, with Adam Wilson and Melanie Wilson LaBracio attached to write. By 2012, Chloë Grace Moretz had already been cast in the female lead role, and Jason Schwartzman was reported to have been offered the male lead.
Fox once dated it for June 5, 2015
In September 2012, 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation announced that the film with the working title Trolls would be released on June 5, 2015. Anand Tucker was set to direct, with a script by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes.
DreamWorks bought the Trolls IP in 2013
By April 2013, DreamWorks Animation had acquired the intellectual property for the Trolls franchise from the Dam Family and Dam Things. DreamWorks became the exclusive worldwide licensor of the merchandise rights, except in Scandinavia, where Dam Things remained the licensor.
The musical reimagining began in May 2013
In May 2013, the film was pushed back to November 4, 2016. The same month, DreamWorks Animation announced that Mike Mitchell and Erica Rivinoja had been hired as director and screenplay writer to “reimagine” the film as a musical comedy, presenting the origin of the Trolls’ colorful hair.
Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake signed on
On June 16, 2014, Anna Kendrick joined the cast to voice Poppy, a princess. On September 15, 2015, Deadline Hollywood reported that Justin Timberlake would voice Branch. Timberlake had previously worked with DreamWorks Animation as the voice of Arthur “Artie” Pendragon in Shrek the Third in 2007.
“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” took over
Justin Timberlake served as an executive producer for the film’s music and released the original song “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” in conjunction with “Hello Darkness” on May 6, 2016. The song reached No. 1 in the official charts of 17 countries, including the United States and Canada, and the soundtrack album went Platinum.
The marketing push was massive
The first teaser trailer for Trolls was officially unveiled online on January 28, 2016, and made its theatrical debut the next day with Kung Fu Panda 3. A second trailer followed online on June 29, 2016. DreamWorks spent an estimated $105 million promoting the film.
It became a modest theatrical winner
Trolls grossed $153.9 million in the US and Canada and $193.2 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $347 million, against a budget of $125 million. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film made a net profit of $19 million. It opened to $46.5 million, finishing second at the box office behind Doctor Strange.
Awards season loved its song
Trolls was nominated at the 89th Academy Awards and the 74th Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Song for “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” The track went on to win Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
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Facts from Wikipedia: Trolls (film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
