Trolls World Tour

Trolls World Tour (often named as Trolls: World Tour) is a 2020 American computer-animated musical comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The sequel to "Trolls" (2016) and the second installment in the franchise, the film is directed by Walt Dohrn in his directorial debut from a screenplay by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Elizabeth Tippet, Maya Forbes, and Wallace Wolodarsky from a story by Aibel and Berger. The film features an ensemble cast that features the voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, James Corden, Ron Funches, Kelly Clarkson, Anderson .Paak, Sam Rockwell, George Clinton, and Mary J. Blige. The film follows two trolls who discover that there are several other troll tribes that represent music genres different to their own and have to deal with the queen of the Rock tribe who plans to overthrow the other music genres to unite all trolls under rock music. 
"Trolls World Tour" was released in the United States in a limited amount of theaters on April 10, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it was also released on video on demand on the same day. AMC Theatres subsequently announced they would no longer distribute the studio's films, though this was later reversed after AMC and Universal agreed on a new contract.
Plot.
The narrator recaps the events of the first film, then explains that the world of Queen Poppy, Branch, and the other Pop Trolls is about to get a lot bigger. Meanwhile, King Trollex's tribe of Techno Trolls are attending a rave, when Hard Rock Trolls led by Queen Barb arrive and use weaponized guitars to destroy the stage. Barb demands Trollex hand over his "string" to her.
Poppy later receives a letter from Barb, inviting her to bring her "string" to unite the trolls. Former King Peppy explains there were once six magical lyre strings that represented major tribes of music - Pop, Hard Rock, Techno, Funk, Classical, and Country. However, the six tribes took their strings and went their separate ways. Peppy, Branch, and the others don't trust Barb's invitation, but Poppy decides to sneak out with her string, to prove Barb is the same as any other troll. Branch (who is trying to confess his love) and Biggie (who stowed away) accompany her. At the same time, a giraffe-like Pop Troll named Cooper finds old illustrations of trolls his shape, and sets off to find them, eventually getting beamed up into a spaceship.
Meanwhile, Barb sends bounty hunters of smaller music genres to find Poppy, promising to spare the tribe of the successful one. Poppy's group soon discovers the ruins of the Classical tribe's town Symphonyville. A sentient flute, Pennywhistle, tells them that Barb wants to forcefully unite all trolls under Rock. They then head to Lonesome Flats to warn the centaur-like Country Trolls, but Poppy feels their music is too downbeat and decides to try to cheer them up first, despite Branch's reservations. They wind up imprisoned, but are rescued by a smooth-talking Country Troll named Hickory, who builds them a raft to take them to Vibe City to warn the Funk Trolls. They encounter Chaz, a Smooth Jazz troll, who paralyzes them with his music to take the string. Hickory, using gumdrop earplugs to remain immune, drives him off. Biggie deserts the group, angry that Poppy broke her promise to keep him safe.
The group is beamed into the Vibe City spaceship. They reunite with Cooper, who is actually the long-lost son of Funk Trolls King Quincy and Queen Essence, and twin brother of their son Prince D (a Hip-Hop troll). Poppy maintains all trolls are the same, but Prince D explains via rap that Pop Trolls once tried to unite all trolls under Pop, causing the initial split. The Hard Rock Trolls attack the ship, and Poppy's group is ejected to safety. Poppy and Branch argue over her refusal to listen, and Branch walks off and is captured by Reggaeton and K-Pop trolls, who fight over him until he convinces them to work together with him against Barb.
Hickory reveals he is actually a Yodel troll. He and his brother Dickory disguised themselves as a centaur to steal Poppy's string. He tells Poppy to run, but Barb arrives and captures her. Biggie, meanwhile, returns home to find Pop Village destroyed, and realizes he should have never left Poppy, rallying the other Pop trolls to rescue her. 
At Volcano Rock City, Barb forces her captives to attend a concert. She uses the six magic strings on her guitar to turn all her captives to Rock Zombies, including Branch when he and his new friends try to rescue Poppy. Poppy herself seems to have been turned, but then reveals that she used Hickory's trick and blocked out the music. She smashes Barb's guitar, restoring the zombies, but the strings are destroyed, ending music and turning all trolls gray. Barb blames the Pop Trolls for repeating history and ruining everything.
Cooper hears his heartbeat amplified by a microphone. He and Prince D start beatboxing along with it, and soon other trolls start making sounds to create a rhythm. Poppy leads them into singing together from their hearts instead of from magic. Everyone's colors are restored, and Barb, encouraged by her father, also embraces that everyone should express their own music their own way, getting her colors and music back. She also accepts Poppy's offer of friendship, and the trolls all return to Pop Village to celebrate.
Production.
On February 28, 2017, Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation announced a sequel to the 2016 film "Trolls", with Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake reprising their roles as Poppy and Branch.
In March 2017, podcasters the McElroy brothers began campaigning for roles in the film via a podcast titled "The McElroy Brothers Will Be in Trolls World Tour". Following the campaign's success, DreamWorks confirmed in September 2018 that the McElroy brothers would make cameo appearances in "World Tour".
Sam Rockwell, Chance the Rapper, Anthony Ramos, Jamie Dornan and Flula Borg were added to the cast in May 2018. Corden, Icona Pop, Funches, and Nayyar returned to reprise their roles. On June 12, 2018, the film was retitled as "Trolls World Tour". In October 2018, it was confirmed that Kelly Clarkson had joined the cast, and will perform an original song. In June 2019, along with promotional posters, new cast members have been announced, which include: J Balvin, Mary J. Blige, Rachel Bloom, George Clinton, Ester Dean and Gustavo Dudamel.
Music.
Along with Timberlake, Clarkson, Paak, Blige and Clinton, songs are provided by Chris Stapleton and SZA.
The first single from the movie's soundtrack, "The Other Side", by Timberlake and SZA, was released on February 26, 2020. The "Trolls World Tour: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" was released on March 13, 2020.
Release.
Theatrical.
Universal Pictures had originally planned to release "Trolls World Tour" theatrically in the United States on April 10, 2020. It was later pushed up to February 14, 2020 before being pushed back to April 17, 2020. Following the delay of "No Time to Die", it was once again pushed up to the original April 10 release date. It was also set to be released on March 20 in the United Kingdom, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, its release date was pushed back to April 6.
On March 17, Universal announced that the film would be released simultaneously in theaters and for digital rental on April 10 in the United States and Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By then, "Trolls World Tour" had only been released in Russia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Other films distributed by the studio, such as "The Invisible Man" and "The Hunt" were also released digitally before the end of the usual 90-day theatrical run.
As the lockdown measures receded, the film was released in three Santikos Theatres locations in San Antonio, Texas on May 1, 2020. Theatres in Hong Kong also started to show the film a week later on May 8, 2020. In Russia the film was made available in IMAX cinemas. In Austria and the Netherlands, it was released in both 4DX and Dolby Cinema.
Home media.
"Trolls World Tour" was made available for an early digital purchase on June 23, 2020. The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on July 7, 2020. All releases include an original short film entitled "Tiny Diamond Goes Back to School". By July 19, the film had totaled $23.6 million worth of DVD and Blu-ray sales.</ref>
Controversy.
In response to Universal releasing the film without consulting theater owners, as well as comments from NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell suggesting that future Universal releases would premiere on streaming simultaneously in theaters, AMC Theatres stated that they would not license films that also premiere at the same time on digital release; "Going forward, AMC will not license any Universal movies in any of our 1,000 theatres globally on these terms." Regal Cinemas followed suit in a statement not just directed at Universal, saying "we will not be showing movies that fail to respect the windows". However, in July 2020, AMC and Universal announced they had come to a deal to shorten the minimum theatrical window to 17 days (down from the usual 90), and that AMC would receive an undisclosed share of subsequent PVOD sales. This reversed AMC's ban on Universal's films.
"The Hollywood Reporter" wrote that some of the cast, including Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake, were not aware of the film's VOD release, and that their representatives were trying to secure the actors' bonuses they would have received had the film performed well theatrically.
Reception.
Box office.
In the U.S., the film made about $60,000 in its opening weekend from 25 drive-in theaters, amid extensive movie theater closures due to restrictions targeted at the COVID-19 pandemic. By May 12, despite no official reports, it was estimated the film was approaching $1 million from theatrical grosses. By June 7, the film had amassed $3.6 million from the domestic box office, and likely had been the first place film every weekend since its release. It continued to play in drive-ins in the following weeks. , the film had grossed $44.8 million from international territories.
VOD sales.
Following its debut digital streaming weekend, it was reported by FandangoNow that the film had set the record for most streams on a release weekend by the company. The film also finished number one for Amazon Prime, Comcast, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and DirecTV, with Universal reporting it was purchased 10-times more than its previous day-one rental "", which had made $2–3 million on its first day. Altogether, the film made at least $40 million over the weekend. Through the first 19 days of release, it was estimated between three and five million people had streamed the film, resulting in about a $95 million gross ($77 million of which went to Universal, more revenue for the studio than the original film made during its entire theatrical run). After three months of release the film remained in the top-five across most services, and occasionally returned to the top spot on Amazon Prime, FandangoNow, and iTunes. By August, "IndieWire" estimated the film had made about $150 million from rentals.
"Deadline Hollywood" estimated that due to the film's approximate $95 million production cost, plus another $30 million spent on marketing (although rival studios claim Universal spent more than that, as high as a normal $80–100 million campaign), the film could break-even if 9–12 million people rent the film, resulting in about $200 million in revenue. "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote that "in the opinion of some industry veterans, [the film] may never make a dime" although "Universal believes it can make $40 million or more in profit from all revenue sources." In October 2020, "The Hollywood Reporter" said the film was the second-most popular PVOD title amid the COVID-19 pandemic, behind "Mulan".
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 71% based on 155 reviews with an average rating of 6.15/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A fun follow-up for fans of the original, "Trolls World Tour" offers a second helping of colorful animation, infectious energy, and sing-along songs." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."
Owen Gleiberman of "Variety" magazine called it a "music-drenched fairy tale" and "for all its surface pleasures, it's a likable but underimagined one, with more enthusiasm than surprise and, at the same time, an overprogrammed sense of its own thematic destiny."
Future.
Potential sequels.
On April 9, 2020, Justin Timberlake mentioned in his Apple Music takeover, "I hope we make, like, seven Trolls movies, because it literally is the gift that keeps on giving,".