In the 1990s, do you remember collecting Troll figurines? I do! It was something about their crazy hair and a funny smile that always captivated me. On Nov. 4, these mystical creatures come to life in DreamWorks’ new animated movie Trolls.
From the creators of Shrek comes the most smart, funny, irreverent animated comedy of the year, DreamWorks’ Trolls.
Right in time for the holiday season, thanks to this delightful movie, you will enter a colorful, wondrous world populated by hilariously unforgettable characters. You will discover the story of the overly optimistic Trolls, who seem to have a constant song on their lips, as well as the comically pessimistic Bergens. Who are the Bergens? Those that are only happy when they have Trolls in their stomach!
If that’s not enough to entice you into the theater the film’s original music score is featured by Justin Timberlake, and soon-to-be classic mash-ups of songs from other popular artists.
The film also stars the voice talents of actors: Anna Kendrick, Russell Brand, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, Icona Pop, Gwen Stefani, and many more.
On June 23, I attended an exclusive preview of DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox’s Trolls at the DreamWorks Animation Campus in Glendale, CA. While there, I viewed 20 minutes of footage and interviewed Timberlake and Kendrick.
Photo Credit: Jason Bush
When developing the musical score for Trolls, filmmakers brought Timberlake on board as its executive music producer.
From what I heard during my visit, the film’s soundtrack is amazing — from the new rendition of True Colors to the Billboard hit, Can’t Stop the Feeling written specifically for the movie by Timberlake, you, too, will be singing along.
I thought I would share with you a few fun facts about the musical score for the film to get you in the mood.
First Time
Although Timberlake’s work has earned him numerous awards, including nine Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, 10 Billboard Music Awards, and four Emmy Awards, this was Timberlake’s first time tackling this kind of project:
“… This is my first time to do it on this level. I’ve never been a music producer for a film.” ~ Justin Timberlake
His Own Spin
Before hiring Timberlake, filmmakers had key songs such as The Sound of Silence and True Colors selected for the soundtrack. To tie the songs into the theme of the movie, Timberlake added his own unique spin:
“I came on a little after some of the songs were sought after and cleared …True Colors was definitely already picked out and The Sound of Silence… So, my job for that was hopefully to put our own spin on it, make it sound unique, [and] make it sound like it belonged in the scene, much like a musical theater, musical theater almost.” ~ Justin Timberlake
Original Songs
Timberlake wrote four original songs for the movie, which was something he had never done before:
“I think overall you’ll feel that a lot of the music definitely has a little bit of ’70s Funk to it. That was definitely an inspiration for Can’t Stop the Feeling as well.” ~ Justin Timberlake
Just ‘Singing in the Rain’
An important factor in creating the musical score for Trolls was that it blended seamlessly with the story:
“It feels like the storytelling doesn’t stop, and now it’s time for music, and now it carries on. You guys really helped it seem like that’s a part of the storytelling. A film shouldn’t stop for a fight sequence and then carry on. The music is really helping to tell the story. And you guys were a big part of that.” ~ Mike Mitchell (Director)
Photo credit: DreamWorks Animation
Timberlake added: “We had a lot of discussions about that. I’m a big fan of musicals. And the first one that comes to mind is The Music Man, or Singing in the Rain, where you’re getting a piece from the character that’s moving the story along, and you’re getting a piece from the story that’s moving the story along … We wanted to definitely modernize our movie and make everything kind of service the movie and move it along.” ~ Justin Timberlake
TROLLS: FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE ON NOV. 4
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