Troll Dolls Are Coming to A Theater Near You

DreamWorks Animation has acquired the intellectual property rights

DreamWorks Animation has acquired intellectual property rights to Troll dolls from the Dam Family, the company announced on Thursday. The dolls, first created by Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam, have been a familiar toy in America since the early 1960s.

Though the plastic dolls with vibrant hair are no longer a staple of a kid’s toy chest, DreamWorks hopes it can use the iconic brand to create successful TV shows, movies and more.

It already has a film in the works, set to debut in 2015.

Former NFL and Universal Studios executive Shawn Dennis has left American Girl for DreamWorks Animation to oversee the company’s handling of 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."

In addition to working with the Trolls franchise, Dennis will seek other outlets for DreamWorks Animation’s growing library of intellectual property. The studio has a very strong track record in film production, but it has expanded into fields such as television and online video to diversify its sources of revenue.

It purchased Classic Media, home to family friendly IP such as Lassie and Casper, last July.

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