DreamWorks Animation has laid off roughly 70 employees, just weeks ahead of the release of their next big movie, Trolls Band Together. Industry trade The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, saying that the roles were across a variety of divisions, and part of a broader cost-cutting strategy. The Trolls franchise is a reliable success, but it has been a rough year for everyone in Hollywood, as streaming models crumble and the writers and actors have spent months striking. DreamWorks Animation in particular didn’t have a great outing with Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Gillman made just $44 million at the box office, off a reported $70 million production budget. The movie, which starred Deadly Class‘s Lana Condor and Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy, was a modest success with critics, scoring 66% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“DreamWorks Animation reduced its workforce by approximately 70 positions,” a spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter last night. “Roles affected were across corporate functions, feature, television and technology departments as part of an overall cost-reduction.”
Trolls Band Together teams returning director Walt Dohrn and producer Gina Shay. The movie is co-directed by Tim Heitz (head of story, Trolls World Tour). DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls films—2016’s Trolls and 2020’s Trolls World Tour— are huge earners for the company and have received awards love, including an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song and legions of young fans from all over.
Here’s how DreamWorks describes the film: “After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now officially, finally, a couple (#broppy)! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd (Golden Globe nominated electropop sensation Troye Sivan), John Dory (Eric André; Sing 2), Spruce (Grammy winner Daveed Diggs; Hamilton) and Clay (Grammy winner Kid Cudi; Don’t Look Up). BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since.
“But when Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains—Velvet (Emmy winner Amy Schumer; Trainwreck) and Veneer (Grammy winner and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells; The Book of Mormon)—Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop-culture obscurity.”
Trolls Band Together will be in theaters on November 17.
