DreamWorks Animation announced yesterday that it now owns the intellectual property of the famed frizzy haired, bejeweled bellybutton Troll dolls. This can only mean one thing – a franchise reboot is in the works.
Trolls on trolls on trollsWhile the creepy Troll dolls have long been replaced by equally (if not more) creepy toys like Furby’s, Monster High dolls, Bratz, and anything on this list, it seems as though DreamWorks hopes to pull the nostalgia card and revive the obsession. DreamWorks plans to bring the famed “Good Luck Trolls” to TV, the movies, and a Toys’R Us near you.This tactic seems to be working well for the recently revived Smurfs and Muppets franchises, both of which currently have sequels in production.
As seen on The Wrap, former American Girl, NFL, and Universal Studios executive Shawn Dennis recently left American Girl to follow these beloved Trolls to DreamWorks. He’ll be overseeing how the company reboots the franchise.
“Trolls is one of those rare, proven and universally adored brands,” Dennis said in a statement. “There is incredible potential here to engage kids across multiple platforms in a way that is fun, enduring and meaningful. It is truly an amazing opportunity to be able to re-launch a brand like this one.”
Rumor has it DreamWorks already has a film in the works due out in 2015, with Chloe Grace Moretz and Jason Schwartzman voicing the title trolls. According The Hollywood Reporter, DreamWorks animation head Alex Shwartz plans to “build on the mythology of the Good Luck Trolls” whilst simultaneously “delivering the sense of adventure, heart and comedy that DreamWorks Animation is known for.”
With a 2015 release date we now know it will be competing with Pixar’s Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory, but hopefully the Troll nostalgia and DreamWorks talent will work their charm and rake in ample viewers.