Even if you’ve never been to a single Comic-Con (check!), you’ve likely heard about the infamous Hall H, where big name studios like Marvel and DreamWorks Animation give attendees a first look at the cinematic projects currently in production. It isn’t uncommon for Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to show up in full costume or J.J. Abrams to invite the entire audience to a live Star Wars concert, complete with lightsabers and fireworks. When I walked into Hall H and donned my Trolls wig, I had high expectations for the DreamWorks Animation panel where I found my happy place.
Fresh, vibrant, and surprisingly poignant, DreamWorks’ Trolls explores the world of the troll dolls that trended as a toy fad in the ’70s. Starring the voice talents of Anna Kendrick as the colorfully optimistic Poppy and Justin Timberlake as the comically disgruntled Branch, the unlikely pair set out on a journey to save their village from destruction by the Troll-eating Bergens. With lush, immersive animation and original music by Justin Timberlake, Trolls will delight audiences with humor, heart, and a touch of nostalgia.
After audiences were treated to 10 minutes of footage from the film and a surprise panel and a first look at The Boss Baby, I sat down with Kendrick, Timberlake, directors Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn and producer Gina Shay to glean some insight into the film. Here are 5 Things We Learned About DreamWorks’ Trolls From Comic-Con:
From concept to completion, Trolls took over 5 years to complete. The original idea to create a film inspired by Thomas Dam’s toy dolls was posed in 2010 by the studio. Producer Gina Shay was involved from the outset, and when Dorhn and Mitchell were brought on, the direction of the film shifted and “[we had] to start from scratch and build the story from there (Shay). Like many animated films, they are never really completed…simply released. Through the filmmkaking process, “the script is always changing. It’s constantly evolving and is so malleable, more than it would be on a live action [film] (Dohrn).
The filmmakers drew inspiration from video games, Japanese animated films, the ’70s era and the art of scrapbooking. We based our design language on Scandinavian modern reality, and so our shapes are big and round. And our characters are round, but then we brought in the trolls hair and brought that into all the landscapes, except for the Bergens. And it all kind of has a ’70s feel to it, as well. We took from shag rug and roller skating and brutalist sculpture and all these different kinds of things (Shay). Other notable influences include Little Big Planet, Miyazaki Japanese animated films like Spirited Away and DreamWorks Adventure Time.
Through the technology of CGI, the filmmakers built a realistic forest to help create the Trolls world. According to Mitchell, “you can build anything in a computer and make it realistic” because of the technology of CGI. Once the team, which included production designer Kendal Cronkhite from the Madagascar film series, built a realistic forest, they applied different textures to it such as felt and carpet. “It was really exciting for us to take natural fibers and do this look that we hadn’t seen before in other films (Mitchell).”
The vocal cast was given the creative freedom to ad lib under the direction of the filmmakers. “Because you’re not at the mercy of life action, you can try a bunch of different things (Timberlake).” Timberlake’s character Branch is defined by his petulance, but the singer/songwriter/producer expressed concern that he was being overly “cantankerous.” The filmmakers were open to the voice actors improvising because “one of the great parts about making an animated film is you can really go back and tinker with your character (Timberlake).” Kendrick also found that she improvised “way more than I ever would in a live action movie.”
DreamWorks’ Trolls features 3 original songs written by Justin Timberlake specifically for the film. Music is central to this film, and as the executive music producer, Timberlake was challenged to “give the movie its own DNA” while still weaving in the nostalgia that is evoked by the Trolls. “I wanted this to feel a little bit different. And the way that the humor felt, sort of modern and reverent, I feel like I wanted the music to feel that way, too (Timberlake).”
Even before Timberlake took on the role of executive music producer, there were certain songs that had been pitched because of great comedic or pivotal moments in the film. Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors is re-imagined as a duet and performed by Kendrick and Timberlake during one of the most poignant scenes in the film. James Corden, Icona Pop, Zooey Deschanel and Christopher Mintz-Plasse also perform covers of hit songs from previous decades. Gwen Stefani and Ariana Grande will also be featured performing original songs for Trolls.
Timberlake’s modern approach to the music is best expressed in his original Can’t Stop The Feeling, specifically written for “the triumphant peak of our movie (Timberlake).” Timberlake referenced Saturday Night Fever when composing the song and wanted to evoke a similar sentiment in Trolls. “You can transform anything in a movie with music (Timberlake).”
With its vibrant neon colors, a jazzy, foot-tapping soundtrack, and dynamic voice cast, DreamWorks’ Trolls is the happy place you’ll want to experience this Fall. To keep up to date with the film, be sure to visit Trolls on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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