Returning to the character of Branch in the upcoming Trolls Band Together, Justin Timberlake may have some old friends joining him. In the trailer for the third installment of the Trolls franchise, out November 17, a boy band reunion storyline is hinted around Timberlake’s character. The animated film may take on a real-life element, according to a report, with former *NSYNC members Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Joey Fatone, reportedly starring in surprise roles in the movie, along with Timberlake.
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Additionally, *NSYNC is reportedly recording a new song for Trolls Band Together, which would mark the group’s first release together since “Girlfriend” in 2001.
On Tuesday, (August 8), Timberlake teased that *NSYNC was working on something new together when he wished Chasez a happy birthday and shared a recent video of the two in the studio on his Instagram Story. “And happy birthday to my brother [JC Chasez],” wrote Timberlake.
Chasez, who recently worked on a project with Meow Mix also left another teaser about a boy band reuniting. “I think working with the Tabby 5, it has left me thinking about other boy band ventures,” he said in an Instagram video. “You never know what could happen.”
The new Trolls trailer doesn’t hint at a specific connection between Timberlake’s real-life boy band past but is centered on his character Branch, who once has a group, BroZone, with his four brothers, played by Troye Sivan (Floyd), Kid Cudi (Clay), Eric André (John Dory), and Daveed Diggs (Spruce).
When Floyd is kidnapped, John Dory finds Branch to reunite their group and save their brother. “Branch, we’re out of sync,” Floyd tells his brother during a flashback in the trailer, hinting at the Timberlake and *NSYNC connection, along with references to famous boy bands. “We’ve gone from boys to men,” continues Floyd, “and now there’s only one direction for us to go: to the back streets.”
Timberlake first joined the Trolls movies after putting his music on hold, from 2008 through 2012, to explore acting. He has since starred in several films, including The Love Guru (2008), The Social Network (2010), and Bad Teacher in 2011, along with his debut as Branch in the 2016 Trolls movie.
On the soundtrack for the 2016 film, Timberlake contributed “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” which shot to No. 1 and earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Grammy award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Timberlake also returned as Branch for the sequel, Trolls: World Tour, in 2020.
[RELATED: The Top 10 *NSYNC Songs]
Formed in 1995, *NSYNC released their self-titled debut in 1997 and three more albums through their fourth and final release, Celebrity, before disbanding in 2002. The group sold more than 70 million albums and has “reunited” a handful of times throughout the years, including a brief performance at the 2013 VMAs.
In 2018, all five members reunited again when *NSYNC received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, while all members, except Timberlake, also joined Ariana Grande onstage at Coachella in 2019. *NSYNC’s Fatone, Kirkpatrick, and Bass recently got together to perform their 2000 hit “Bye Bye Bye” at singer Ryan Cabrera and WWE star Alexa Bliss’ wedding in 2022.
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