DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Out in Theaters November 4th

TROLLS – In Theaters November 4

From the creators of Shrek comes DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls, a smart, funny and irreverent comedy about the search for happiness, and just how far some will go to get it. This hilarious film transports audiences to a colorful, wondrous world populated by the overly optimistic Trolls, who have a constant dance in their step and a song on their lips, and the comically pessimistic Bergens, who are only happy when they have trolls in their stomachs.

After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy (Kendrick), the happiest Troll ever born, and the overly-cautious curmudgeonly Branch (Timberlake) set off on a journey to rescue her friends. Together, this mismatched duo embarks on a rescue mission full of adventure and mishaps – trying to tolerate each other long enough to get the job done. I had a chance to see an early screening a few weeks back and I have to say I absolutely LOVE this movie! From the felt art, storyline and songs you will be brought back to your childhood and feel like a kid again. The music is wonderful and they selected songs that fit so nicely with the story and ones that everyone will remember and can enjoy. One of the other bloggers and I were singing along to songs we knew back in the day and even did a little dancing at the end. The message of the movie is to find your happiness and hold onto it. It really makes you think about what makes you happy and living a life filled with more joy. It is one of my favorites movies I’ve seen this year and it is such a wonderful family movie.

Utilizing music to further the film’s narrative, the Trolls soundtrack is produced by Justin Timberlake and features five original songs including songs by Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, Anna Kendrick and Gwen Stefani, in addition to a number of classic hits from the ‘60s through the ‘80s.

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Russell Brand, Zooey Deschanel, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, Icona Pop, Quvenzhané Wallis, with John Cleese and Gwen Stefani

Directed By: Mike Mitchell; Co-Director: Walt Dohrn

Produced By: Gina Shay

Interview with Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kunal Nayyar

Blogger: What were some of the unique challenges between doing the songs that are covers versus your own songs?

Mr. Justin Timberlake: Well, every song was pretty situational, whether it be for a comedic purpose or I guess, dramatic purpose. So I think you really just kind of break down each moment and you know, at the end of the day it’s theatrical as well.

For instance, there were some great opportunities to write songs to use almost like you’re writing your own source music. The roller-skating scene to write the song for Ariana Grande, that worked out. I saw the scene and they had something else tempted in there and went back and sort of rethought that.

But when you’re using a song like The Sound of Silence, as soon as you hear those two opening, it’s so recognizable that immediately all the adults in the room laugh.

And then with something like True Colors, I can’t imagine actually having to write a song after hearing that in that scene and just it literally is like it worked so well.

I’ll shut up now.

Blogger: Have you been doing interviews all day?

Mr. Justin Timberlake: No, I haven’t been doing interviews all year. We actually just said before we walked in here, “We feel like our job now from here on out is just to promote Trolls.”

Ms. Anna Kendrick: Yes. And if somebody asked me, “Like what do you do?” I would be like, “I think I promote this movie Trolls and that’s all I do, actually.

Mr. Justin Timberlake: And on the side I do a little bit of acting.

Mr. Christopher Mintz-Plasse: Yes.

Blogger: Justin, this one’s for you. Since you could probably do any project you want to do–

Mr. Justin Timberlake: –That’s not true–.

Blogger: –what’s made Trolls so special for you?

Ms. Anna Kendrick: Why did you do this one? You could do anything you want. Explain yourself.

Mr. Justin Timberlake: Yes. Well, that’s not a set up for an obnoxious answer. Yes. I’m sure however I try to weasel my way out of that question I won’t sound pretentious at all. Yes.

No, this is like, for me it was an embarrassment of riches. First of all DreamWorks, I feel like redefined the animation, like as their own genre of animation.

And when I was pitched the movie Anna, was already in the movie so I thought, “Oh, I’m in. I’m in.” And then they sort of talked to me about doing the music and I’ve always wanted to do music for a film and I was like, “Wow. Well, I may as well pick one that’s going to have an awesome budget.”

So selfishly I was like, “Yes, I’ll be happy to.” And then you find yourself in a room full of people like, “What do you think?” And I was like, “You guys should–” and you just come up with the answers so you can have one. And they go, “Okay, we’ll do it,” because they have so much money.

No, I’m kidding. I’m mostly kidding. But I just felt like it was an embarrassment of riches to have all of these resources at your fingertips to do it this way.

And you just had a sense that the movie was going to be great based on the pitch that they had given me, you just had a sense that it was going to have its own sort of flair and DNA. And so, I don’t know why you would say no.

Filmmaker Roundtable with Mike Mitchell (Director), Walt Dohrn (Co-Director), Gina Shay (Producer), Glenn Berger (Writer), Jonathan Aibel (Writer)

October 22, 2016

Blogger: It was just super, super funny, and I can’t wait to bring my daughter.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: Great. How old is your daughter?

Blogger: She is 10.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: Awesome, perfect.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: Perfect.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: Although it is for everyone, like it’s definitely a movie for everybody, yes.

Blogger: I mean, I was laughing. My favorite was when Bridget was doing the dust buster.

Ms. Gina Shay: No, the sweeper.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: The sweeper.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: Oh, the sweeper, yes. We like that it was really quiet, like Bridget herself.

Blogger: I’m curious about the farting glitter.

I was just wondering what made you think of that idea.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: For farting glitter?

Blogger: Yes.

Mr. Gina Shay: I’m going to let these guys answer that.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: Well, he has got a full diet of glitter.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: He eats glitter. The writers put that into the script. John put it in.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: We were saying that the other day, and all the parents were like, “Uh, make sure kids don’t eat the glitter.”

Mr. Mike Mitchell: Yes.

Mr. Glenn Berger: “Please.” John made that joke, and everyone was really concerned.

Blogger: No, no, he is right. I have a three-year-old, and I’m going to take him to the movie, there is another preview of DreamWorks.

Mr. Jonathan Aibel: I wish they would poop cupcakes.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: They will not.

Blogger: Kind of like ass muffins.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: Yes, very similar. I think it’s a cartoon thing.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: I call it the great equalizer because we all–like no matter who you are–.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: –Everybody poops–.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: –No matter who you are, everyone poops. I have a three-year-old, and we talk about it. Everyone poops, so it makes it kind of funny and brings us all connected.

Blogger: It was kind of like an intense moment.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: Yes.

It gives you a little relief, yes. We always want to add a little levity or a little whimsy in the fret.

Mr. Gina Shay: Let the air out, so to speak.

Blogger: I noticed one of your last names is very similar to Bergen. Was that–?

Mr. Glenn Berger: And to further confuse things, John is from Bergen County, New Jersey. No, we had nothing to do with that. I fought it. It is actually a town in–.

Ms. Gina Shay: –Sweden.

Ms. Gina Shay: Yes.

Mr. Jonathan Aibel: Yes, the birthplace of the trolls.

Blogger: I saw that there is so much detail in the movie, but was there a moment in which you feel that it was a challenge?

Mr. Mike Mitchell: We have had that question before where it’s like, “What was the most difficult thing?” And I have to say, working with such talented writers and having such a great producer and an amazing co-director and born artists that are incredible–like DreamWorks has collected the most amazing animators, board artist technicians I have every worked with–all under one roof.

And then, you guys met most of our cast. Every one of them not only are tremendous actors, but they are super funny. Each one of them like has a sense of humor, which is really helpful for these films. And each one of them can sing-incredible voices. Zooey Deschanel is like an amazing singer along with James Corden, I am not even going to say anything. Did you guys know that Justin Timberlake knows how to sing? This guy is good. It’s weird, it’s weird. But, we get that question. It was a lot of work.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: Everyone had such a good time, yes.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: But, I never felt concerned about anything.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: Even as we were wrapping it up, the artists will still coming up and saying, “This was the best time I ever had.”

Mr. Mike Mitchell: It was like the end of camp, like everyone was hugging at the end of this. We were like, ooh.

Ms. Gina Shay: Yes, there was so much joy in making the film that we were all at the wrap party the other night.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: You had a wrap party?

Ms. Gina Shay: The joy that we felt working together was just reflected back to the entire room of everybody who worked on it from the screen, and it was just such a wonderful moment.

It almost made me cry. I felt like I was going to cry, and it was at the end, yes.

Mr. Mike Mitchell: But, the reason we did this film is because, not just for kids but for even for myself, like everything on the media–it’s a little dark. And most of the stuff on the Internet is very judgmental. And let’s not even talk about how silly this election is that is coming up. It is so ridiculous and disturbing and weird. So, we really just wanted to do something that makes people feel happy and makes them feel like they went to a party after this movie. And so, we showed it in London, and we have showed it recently in San Francisco. We have been showing it around, and–.

Mr. Walt Dohrn: The reaction has been incredible.

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