Trolls World Tour (often named as Trolls 2: 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 was directed by Walt Dohrn and co-directed by David P. Smith (in his feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky, and Elizabeth Tippet, and 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 Poppy and Branch as they discover several more troll tribes that represent music genres alien to their own. Troubles arise when the Queen of the Rock tribe plans to overthrow the foreign music genres to unite the 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, and was simultaneously released on video on demand. 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; 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.
A repentant 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 music and colors are restored, including Barb's once she accepts her father's advice to "let everyone be who they want to be". She also accepts Poppy's offer of friendship. Branch and Poppy confess their mutual love, and the trolls all return to Pop Village to celebrate.
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A third Trolls film is set to be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.