Millennials, our collective wish might just come true! It looks like DreamWorks may achieve what countless fan petitions and social media campaigns couldn’t. There’s strong buzz around the latest Trolls movie, with a new rumor suggesting a reunion of the iconic boy band, *NSYNC. The trailer for Trolls Band Together gives a hint: Justin Timberlake's character, Branch, could be reuniting with his band. An insider even teased more about this potential reunion of one of the greatest boy bands ever.
Let that sink in for a moment, my fellow entertainment-loving ’90s kids! The last time we heard the quintet in harmony as an official group was for their final album, Celebrity, which dropped in 2002. Now, an insider tells ET that bandmates JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick are expected to have surprise roles in the upcoming third Trolls film, joining their former bandmate Justin Timberlake. If the source’s information holds water, we’re not just talking about a voiceover reunion. They’ll supposedly release a new song for the film.
The outlet reached out to Universal Studios -- who are possibly wiping beads of sweat off their foreheads -- but the company has not confirmed the claims as of this writing. However, the latest sneak peek does drop some pretty tantalizing hints. Branch’s musical history reveals he once crooned alongside brothers -- characters voiced by Troye Sivan, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, and Eric André - under the name “BroZone.” Watch the full trailer below:
The plot thickens when Floyd (a character brought to life by Troye Sivan) gets kidnapped, urging John Dory (voiced by Eric André) to chase after Branch for a harmonious rescue mission. A flashback from Floyd to Branch was particularly interesting as he noted, "Branch, we're out of sync," followed by a nostalgic nod, "We've gone from boys to men, and now there's only one direction for us to go: to the back streets."
For years, every whisper of an *NSYNC reunion has excited fans. Though members have occasionally performed together, such as their recent "Bye Bye Bye" rendition at Ryan Cabrera and WWE star Alexa Bliss's wedding, it's been over two decades since Justin Timberlake joined them on stage.
It's worth noting that after joining Ariana Grande for a show at Coachella 2019 (sans the Social Network alum), Joey Fatone sounded somewhat nostalgic about the good ol' touring days. His cryptic "never say never" comment hinted at the possibilities of the band's grand reunion. While Band Together is far from a full-fledged reunion tour, it still would do my millennial heart good to hear the boys singing together again.
Kids may love the Trolls movies, but I, as a middle-aged man, unabashedly love the series. I'm eagerly awaiting the third film in the series, and the potential *NSYNC reunion? That's just the icing on the cake!
The music aside, Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake are back as Poppy and Branch. Based on past collaborations, like those with Kelly Clarkson and Mary J. Blige, the cast will surely impress, *NSYNC reunion or not. Meanwhile, you can stream the first two movies: Trolls with a Netflix subscription and Trolls World Tour with a Peacock subscription.
