Trolls debuted last November and follows Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the upbeat leader of the Trolls, and Branch (Justin Timberlake), her not so upbeat counterpart, as they venture into the unknown to save their community of trolls from the perpetually unhappy (and hungry) Bergens. The psychedelic film for kids received a mostly positive reception and is perhaps most loved for its catchy tunes; including the Academy Award nominated “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, by Justin Timberlake (a song that also topped pop radio charts).
Trolls has grossed a worldwide total of $339.4 million thus far, against a $125 million budget. Given its commercial performance in combination with its critical reception, it's not too surprising that the studios behind the film have now officially announced that a followup is in the works.
Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation have now confirmed that Trolls 2 arrives in U.S. theaters on April 10th, 2020, taking the release date spot previously reserved for an "UNTITLED UNIVERSAL EVENT FILM". You can check out the release date announcement poster for Trolls 2, below:
Taking a cue from The LEGO Movie, Trolls is based on a popular toy line; in this case, Troll Dolls, created by Thomas Dam. The script was written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who are known for their work on the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and was co-directed by Mike Mitchell (Shrek Forever After) and Walt Dohrn (SpongeBob SquarePants). Mitchell is unlikely to return for the sequel as he's now overseeing The LEGO Movie 2 for a 2019 release date, but both Timberlake and Kendrick are confirmed to reprise their roles.
Unlike The LEGO Movie, Trolls skews more toward kids with only a few adult-levels jokes scattered throughout. (One troll farts glitter and another poops cupcakes, if this is any indication as to the the target audience.) The elementary level humor bothered some moviegoers who were perhaps expecting a slightly more advanced level of comedy, like its filmmakers' previous work on the Shrek franchise. However, it seems that the glitter farts worked like a charm.
As for where the story will lead us, there's not much to go off of yet. At the end of Trolls [SPOILERS], the characters' main problem of their friends and family constantly being eaten by Bergens is resolved and Poppy is crowned as the new Queen. The characters, including a reluctant Branch, sing and dance with glee while the main antagonists, Chef (Christine Baranski) and Creek (Russell Brand) are eaten by a hill-shaped monster. Trolls 2 will need new antagonists and new problems, and it's anyone's guess as to what the storytellers will come up with. Though with a slew of sequels under their belt, DreamWorks and Universal Pictures shouldn't have too much trouble creating another hit here.
Trolls 2 hits theaters April 10, 2020. Trolls is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.
Source: Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation