Trolls Band Together

Theatrical release poster

***Trolls Band Together*** is a 2023 American computer-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 and co-directed by Tim Heitz (in his feature directorial debut), from a screenplay 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 previous films, 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 boy band 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, with some additional animation by DNEG, 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 $204 million worldwide and received mixed to positive reviews from critics. A sequel, *Trolls Musical Revolution*, was released in theaters on February 19, 2027.

## Plot

In a flashback, Branch and his four older brothers John Dory, Spruce, Clay, and Floyd perform as part of a boy band called BroZone. Due to their clashing egos preventing them from reaching the "Perfect Family Harmony", a powerful ability that Trolls can achieve when they are in complete sync, the four older brothers argue and break up the band. Branch is left alone to be raised by his grandmother.

In present day, about a month after preventing the Rockpocalypse, Branch and Poppy attend the wedding of their Bergen friends King Gristle Jr. and his girlfriend Bridget. Just before they are married, an older John Dory interrupts the wedding, who has come to find Branch to seek his assistance alongside their other brothers, when 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. 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 from 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 alone, after scolding them for how he lived his whole life alone after their grandmother got eaten. Poppy, Branch 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.

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. Branch and Poppy are soon 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 essence, Branch realizes that they all simply need to put aside their egos and work as a team. They perform the Perfect Family Harmony and break free of their prisons just as Floyd loses the last of his essence, but he is quickly revived. Veneer, who had been second-guessing Velvet's machinations, publicly confesses everything, and they are sent to prison.

The Trolls return to Vacay Island and witness BroZone's comeback concert, joined by Kismet, another band Branch was once part of.

## Voice cast

* Anna Kendrick as Queen Poppy, the excitable and optimistic queen of the Pop Trolls and Branch's girlfriend
* Justin Timberlake as Branch, an over-cautious but goodhearted survivalist Pop Troll and Poppy's boyfriend
	+ Iris Dohrn as young Branch; he was previously voiced by Liam Henry in the first film, in which Dohrn voiced baby Poppy.
* Camila Cabello as Viva, Poppy's long-lost older sister and the leader of the Putt-Putt Trolls, a sub-tribe of Pop Trolls
* Eric André as John Dory, the oldest of Branch's brothers and the former leader of BroZone
* Daveed Diggs as Spruce, the second oldest of Branch's brothers and a former member of BroZone, known as "The Heartthrob", who changed his name to Bruce after having a family of his own
* Kid Cudi as Clay, the third oldest of Branch's brothers and a former member of BroZone, known as "The Fun Boy", who became the second-in-command of the Putt-Putt Trolls
* Troye Sivan as Floyd, the fourth oldest of Branch's brothers and a former member of BroZone known, as "The Sensitive One", who was kidnapped for his musical talent
* Amy Schumer as Velvet, a pop-star villain and Veneer's older twin sister who wants to be a famous pop singer
	+ Brianna Mazzola as Velvet’s singing voice
* Andrew Rannells as Veneer, a pop-star villain and Velvet's doormat younger twin brother
* Zosia Mamet as Crimp, an assistant to Velvet and Veneer
* RuPaul Charles as Miss Maxine, the wedding officiant for the wedding of King Gristle Jr. and Bridget
* Zooey Deschanel as Bridget, a kindhearted Bergen and a former scullery maid
* Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Gristle Jr., the king of the Bergens and Bridget's fiancé
* David Fynn as Biggie, a chubby, friendly Pop Troll and the owner of Mr. Dinkles. Fynn reprises his role as Biggie from *Trolls: The Beat Goes On!* and *Trolls: TrollsTopia*, replacing James Corden, who voiced Biggie in the first two films.
* Icona Pop as Satin and Chenille, twin Pop Trolls that are conjoined by their hair
* Anderson .Paak as Prince D, one of the princes of the Funk Trolls and Cooper's twin brother
* Ron Funches as Cooper, one of the princes of the Funk Trolls and Prince D's twin brother
* Kenan Thompson as Tiny Diamond, a baby Hip-Hop Troll and Guy Diamond's rapping son
* Kunal Nayyar as Guy Diamond, a naked 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 eccentric anthropomorphic cloud.
	+ The Interdimensional Hustler Traveler
* GloZell as Grandma Rosiepuff, the grandmother of Branch and his brothers who appears in flashbacks. 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

* Nina Bakshi as BroZone fangirl
* Melissa Mabie as Aunt Smeed
* James Ryan as a Mount Rageon stage manager
* Tim Heitz as Lone Pooper
* Ryan Naylor as radio announcer
* Nick Fletcher as a concert announcer
* Secunda Wood as:
	+ BroZone stagehand
	+ Mount Rageon fangirl
* Roger Craig Smith as:
	+ A rock climbing instructor
	+ Lenny
	+ Mount Rageon fan
* Fred Tatasciore as a Vacaytioner with nachos
* Nick Kishiyama as:
	+ Cove
	+ Freddy
* Jakari Fraser as Windy
* Kayla Melikian as LaBreezey
* Titus Blake as Rainy
* Nicole Lynn Evans as a Putt-Putt Troll

## 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. 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.