Trolls World Tour Release Date, Trailer, And Cast

Trolls World Tour will soon be heading to the big screen! Dreamworks has dropped the long-awaited trailer for Trolls World Tour, the sequel to the 2016 hit film Trolls, and we couldn't be more excited about it. Of course, Trolls: The Beat Goes On can fill that troll-shaped void inside for now, but there's nothing quite like a trip to the movies, especially for a film that's so colorful. Who's ready to go back to Troll Village for more singing, dancing, and, of course, hugging?

There are plenty of questions we have about the next installment in the Trolls franchise, such as who will star in the film, what characters will return, when the film will premiere, and what new celebs will be joining the returning cast. If you wondered about these details as well, you've come to the right place, as we did the digging and unearthed all of the details about Trolls World Tour. Read on to get the scoop on this exciting and family-friendly movie.

The first Trolls film made its way to theaters in the United States on Nov. 4, 2016, according to Box Office Mojo. That's smack-dab in the middle of Oscar season, which is an odd time to release an animated children's film that's not vying for any best picture accolades (though Trolls did snag one nomination — more on that later). But at least it escaped the fate of being released in a dump month!

As for the newest installment in the Trolls franchise, the upcoming Trolls World Tour has a release date of April 17, 2020, which is a Friday in case you were wondering. Why the producers of the film opted for a spring date instead of a fall premiere is unclear, but there you have it. One thing's pretty certain, though: Plenty of families will flock to theaters on opening weekend to get their fix of Poppy, Branch, Biggie, and all of their favorite Trolls characters. That is, if they flock to this movie just as they did to Trolls in 2016. Time will tell!

If you haven't scoped out the Trolls World Tour trailer yet, you're missing out! It opens with a sweet rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence" performed by Poppy, accompanied by many colorful and fluffy woodland creatures. It isn't long before Poppy is interrupted by the face-melting rock troll Queen Barb, who shreds as she plays the famous riff from Ozzy Osborne's "Crazy Train" in Poppy's face. Naturally, the introduction of such a wild and free-spirited character requires an explanation, so Poppy turns to King Peppy for answers.

After King Peppy's enlightening talk, Barb reveals her nefarious plan, which deeply concerns Poppy and Branch. But true to form, Poppy shows that she believes in the power of hugs to not only stop Barb in her tracks, but also to save the world. After clips of Poppy and Branch along with their friends out on an adventure are shown, not to mention some great comedic moments, the trailer closes with "Rock You Like a Hurricane," and teases an exciting new character at the end.

Although we've already summarized the Trolls World Tour trailer, there's still more to discuss about the plot. For one, Poppy and Branch learn from King Peppy that there are other kinds of trolls out there in the world. Additionally, their troll ancestors created six magical strings, each representing a different genre of music: pop, funk, classical, techno, country, and rock. These strings brought music into the Trolls world and sustain it to this day.

But music everywhere in the Troll Kingdom is in danger, as Queen Barb and her father, King Thrash, have devised an evil plan: They want rock to be the only kind of music out there, and they're bent on destroying all other genres. But when Poppy learns of their plot, she hatches a counter-plan to unite all of the trolls and save music. So she and Branch — along with Biggie, Chenille, Satin, Cooper, and Guy Diamond — embark on a world tour to unite the kingdoms against Barb and Thrash. Hopefully, diversity will prevail in the end!

Of course, a Trolls movie wouldn't be a Trolls movie without our favorite main characters from the first film in the franchise. Thankfully, both Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake are returning to reprise their roles of Poppy and Branch, respectively, according to the Dreamworks website. That means you don't have to worry about either of them sounding different this time around — thank goodness!

Kendrick and Timberlake aren't the only celebs returning to Troll Village in Trolls World Tour. The pair will be joined by other actors and musicians in recurring roles, such as late-night talk show host James Corden in the role of Biggie, comedian Ron Funches as Cooper, The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar in the role of Guy Diamond once again, and Icona Pop musicians Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo as Chenille and Satin, respectively. By the way things are shaping up, the magic is going to be just as real this time around as it was in the original Trolls film.

In addition to featuring returning characters, Trolls World Tour also has some pretty exciting new characters that will make their movie debut, according to the Dreamworks website. For one, the king of funk himself, George Clinton, will voice funk troll King Quincy; Mary J. Blige will lend her talent to the role of Queen Essence; and Anderson .Paak will play Prince D. That's some royalty we can get behind!

The star-studded cast only gets better, as Vice actor Sam Rockwell will play the role of Hickory, while German actor Flula Borg snagged the role of Dickory. Hamilton veteran Anthony Ramos will voice techno troll King Trollex, singer Kelly Clarkson will play country troll Delta Dawn, and classical musician Gustavo Dudamel will bring Trollzart to life. And, of course, Ozzy Osborne will rock as Thrash — no one else could play that role!

The talent doesn't stop there, either. Karan Soni will step into the shoes of Riff, Irish actor Jamie Dornan will play Chaz, Ester Dean will dazzle as Legsly, and J Balvin will voice Tresillo. The Trolls World Tour soundtrack is going to be insane!

In addition to all of the other new and electrifying characters, Trolls World Tour will feature an antagonist to remember: Queen Barb. With her spiky red hair, intense facial expressions, rock and roll style, and skull-bearing guitar, Barb is clearly not someone other trolls want to mess with. No wonder she intimidated Poppy so much in the trailer!

If you were wondering why Barb's voice sounded familiar, that's because she's played by Rachel Bloom. Best known for her starring role on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend as Rebecca Bunch, Bloom has appeared in a number of films and television shows, and she also has writing, producing, and music credits to her name, according to her IMDb profile. Impressive!

You might also recognize Bloom's voice from BoJack Horseman, in which she played Laura, or Robot Chicken, in which she voiced Ariel. But hardcore Trolls fans will recognize her from Trolls: The Beat Goes On! as she voiced Cybil in one episode.

There's one more new and exciting character appearing in Trolls World Tour, according to the trailer: Tiny Diamond, a hip hop troll. Interestingly enough, the sparkling Tiny Diamond comes into the world when Guy Diamond gives birth to him out of his hair. Now we know how trolls are born, and yes, male trolls can get pregnant and deliver children. We are so on board with this!

The newest addition to the trolls family is voiced by none other than comedian and actor Kenan Thompson, who's best known for his impressive tenure on Saturday Night Live. But Thompson has also lent his talent to a variety of films and television shows over the years, such as Kenan & Kel, Fat Albert, Snakes on a Plane, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It will be fun to see Thompson's rapping skills in action, as well as the comedic chemistry between him and Kunal Nayyar, who plays his Trolls character's dad.

The first Trolls movie was directed by Mike Mitchell and was co-directed by Walt Dohrn, according to IMDb. This time around, Dohrn won't be second in command, as he's taking the reins and directing Trolls World Tour, according to Universal's website. While this will be the first feature-length film he's directed, it won't be his first rodeo, as he's directed episodes of the television shows SpongeBob SquarePants and Nightmare Ned, the short films Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular and Shrek's Yule Log, and the Nightmare Ned video game. In addition to directing, Dohrn also has writing, acting, art department, and animation credits to his name, among others.

Additionally, Dohrn will have help at the helm of Trolls World Tour from co-director David P. Smith, so he won't have to go it alone. Smith has directed episodes of television shows like Dexter's Laboratory and The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, as well as the television movie The Flintstones: On the Rocks. Smith also boasts many acting, writing, and producing credits. 

Gina Shay, who produced the original Trolls movie according to IMDb, is reprising her role as producer for Trolls World Tour, according to Universal's website. Shay has a ton of producing experience, notably on films like South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut (line producer), Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (co-producer), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (executive producer), and Shrek Forever After (producer). Shay also has a handful of writing, soundtrack, and art department credits under her belt.

A graduate of the Pratt Institute, Shay fell in love with animation early on, and she moved to Los Angeles to work on it as a career. "For a while, I thought I might take the artist route," she recalled in an interview with Animation Scoop. "But I also loved storytelling and with my art background, I decided to produce and never left animation." What a fun career to land!

Shay will be joined by Kelly Cooney Cilella, who will serve as the co-producer of Trolls World Tour. 

One of the songs that no one could escape in 2016 was Justin Timberlake's pop hit "Can't Stop the Feeling," which he wrote for the Trolls soundtrack (which he was also in charge of). The upbeat, happy tune not only put a smile on everyone's faces, but it also garnered Timberlake an Oscar nomination. "I think that is what I was always most happy about, that it gives people a good feeling," he gushed in an interview with Deadline. "For the Academy to recognize this song? Wow. Yeah, I'm pinching myself." Congrats, Justin!

Although Timberlake's song didn't win the award — it was bested by "City of Stars" from the La La Land soundtrack — it's still a huge honor to get nominated. And since Timberlake is returning to create original music for the Trolls World Tour soundtrack, according to Universal's website, perhaps he'll get another chance for accolades from the Academy.

The first Trolls movie can easily be called a success. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the total budget for the film was $125 million, which is a lot of money to be sure. But its total gross, both domestic and international combined, was a whopping $346,864,462, according to Box Office Mojo. It grossed $46,581,142 in its opening weekend alone, and it debuted in the No. 2 spot. That's pretty darn impressive by any measure.

As for its successor, we'll just have to wait and see how the numbers pan out. With so many big names in the Trolls World Tour cast, you know that the budget has to be pretty big. After all, there's no way you're going to get people like Timberlake (who's among the 50 wealthiest celebs out there, according to Forbes) and Kunal Nayyar (one of the highest-paid actors on television, according to Forbes) on board without parting with a significant amount of cash. But if Trolls World Tour draws in the same crowds that Trolls did, Universal will make it all back and then some.