November 23rd, 2021 
Jackson Murphy 
DreamWorks Animation just announced a third Trolls feature film that will open in theaters in November 2023. For now, the studio is giving us a new half-hour treat. Trolls Holiday in Harmony premieres this Friday Nov. 26 at 9pm on NBC. The special (featuring the voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake and Kenan Thompson) is a follow-up to 2017’s Trolls Holiday and includes characters we met in last year’s feature Trolls World Tour. Directors Sean Charmatz and Tim Heitz share their Season’s Greetings and why Poppy & Branch continue to put smiles on millions of faces. (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A.)
Jackson Murphy: It’s not often we see a holiday special sequel, but there have been a few (“Frosty Returns”, “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice”). Did you feel pressure/excitement in wanting to make a successful holiday special sequel?
Sean Charmatz: I always feel some pressure to make anything I work on great. This being a holiday special was no exception. I’m a huge fan of the Peanuts holiday specials along with the ones you mentioned, and was super honored and excited to have the opportunity to direct something that would be revisited for years to come during one of the most special times of the year for families.
Tim Heitz: Definitely excitement! There is so much fun to be had with these growing characters. I was so proud of how the first Holiday Special turned out. It was a fun challenge to bring the same energy to this one — all while expanding on the relationships and opportunities the Trolls’ world presents to them. An All-Troll-Holiday-Gift-Swap, where Branch and Poppy draw each other’s names, invites us into a deeper look at the connection between these two beloved characters.
JM: What did you love the most about “Trolls World Tour” that you wanted to highlight in “Trolls Holiday in Harmony”?
SC: Trolls World Tour did a great job setting up that all the Troll tribes had by the end of the film embraced each other’s differences. We were really excited to show them all gathering together as one big Troll family, highlighting this progression of togetherness and acceptance among all Trolls. We also wanted to highlight that Poppy and Branch’s relationship had taken the next step, clearly showing them as boyfriend and girlfriend. Even showing their first Kiss!
TH: We met so many incredible new characters in Trolls World Tour and we were very excited about the idea of bringing them all together to celebrate a Holiday in Pop Village. Also, with Branch and Poppy becoming “official” at the end of TWT, we knew this would be the perfect time to explore what being in a relationship looks like for them — and how they both uniquely approach the idea of finding the ‘perfect gift’ for the person they love the most.
JM: There are several storylines and character emotions that weave in and out of each other over 22 minutes. How did you aim to balance it all?
TH: Incredible teamwork. We worked with the editorial team to play with the scenes and bring the key story points to light. The goal was highlighting Branch and Poppy’s storyline, where their dilemma starts and how they approach their journey to resolution. This structure and team effort made it possible to weave in a really fun, whimsical journey for Tiny Diamond.
SC: We wanted to have an A and B story and then weave those two together by the end. We felt this was a fun way to keep the holiday special packed with fun surprises while keeping the audience wondering what was going to happen in each of the story lines. And wIth Tiny Diamond being a new crowd favorite, we wanted to find a fun way to really spend a good portion of the story focused on his character with a simple goal where we would have space to create breakout musical moments, opportunity for guest appearances, and comedy.
JM: How challenging were the fast-paced Tiny Diamond raps to put together?
TH: We had so much fun with this! We decided early on that we wanted each rap to have a distinct identity. Sean, Killian Gray, and I landed on the tone, then brainstormed the rhymes ourselves. Once we were happy with all of them, we passed them on as templates to our music producer, Joe Shirley. He brought the words to life by creating original music to back each rap. From there, we worked with each department to give every rap it’s own visual language, creating a build from where Tiny’s story begins to where he ends up — a fully enlightened baby.
SC: The Tiny Diamond raps were so, so fun to create with the team. Tim, Killian Gray, and I wrote the words to the raps and with excellent storyboards, fun art direction, super cool composing, and amazing animators, those parts of the film almost seemed to make themselves. Each of the departments really brought their “A game” on these scenes and the work continued to be elevated throughout the process, so it actually didn’t feel that challenging at all, to be honest.
JM: You have an entertainment icon delivering a supporting voice performance in this. Without giving her away (because I think she’s considered a spoiler?), how were you able to bring her into the “Trolls” world?
TH: Talk about surreal! We have all been fans of hers for so long. When we created this character, she immediately came to mind. Having the opportunity to collaborate with her on the role and realize the funniest version of her character is an experience I will never forget! She is fantastic, and we are extremely lucky to have her in the special.
SC: We let her do her thing since all the actors basically use a regular speaking voice and don’t put anything extra on to make it sound “Trolly”. And the casting for the role was perfect. We really felt the voice matched the design.
JM: How do Poppy & Branch serve as role models for kids when it comes to friendship?
SC: They show how accepting they are of each other’s differences. They also recognize that some of their weaknesses are the other’s strength and they embrace this by learning from each other or knowing when one of them should step aside to let the other do their thing. There is a real nice sense of teamwork in this relationship! Also, they always work through any fights or problems they have, allowing their relationship to get stronger.
TH: Poppy and Branch are two very different characters who care deeply about each other so they work through their opposing points of view to find common ground. These differences, along with their varying approach to problem-solving, really compliment one another and make each other stronger as a whole. Their relationship serves as a really great example of how you don’t need to surround yourself with people who see and do things exactly the way you do. There is beauty in individuality.
JM: There’s a signature song called “Together Now” towards the end of the special. Was this song (which is co-written by Justin Timberlake) a response to COVID? Because it feels like it — and I think families will love it.
SC: The song was conceived before COVID hit, so this was just a very happy coincidence.
TH: I can’t wait for this song to be released to the world. The supportive, uplifting lyrics do hit differently now. It couldn’t be more spot on and we’re so excited for everyone to sing, dance and feel energized while listening to it.
JM: How has this “Trolls” franchise been a gift in your lives?
TH: It’s such a positive world where anything can happen. I’ve been with DreamWorks since 2006 and have had the pleasure of working on several franchises. Trolls has not only been one of the most fun franchises to be involved in, it also helped me grow, both personally and professionally. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to play in this extraordinary world.
SC: The Trolls franchise has been a huge gift in my life by being a place where I can express myself as an artist and writer through amazing characters that are seen by millions of fans. The opportunity to do work that brings happiness and joy to the world is an amazing gift that I greatly appreciate. And I have always LOVED troll dolls and to work on the Trolls films has been a dream come true as a lifelong fan of the property.
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