Justin Timberlake penning music for animated 'Trolls' movie

GLENDALE, Calif., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Singer, songwriter and actor Justin Timberlake is to serve as executive music producer and will pen original tunes for the upcoming movie Trolls, DreamWorks Animation said Tuesday.

The Grammy Award-winning artist also stars as Branch, a "hilariously hardcore survivalist who hides his surprising true colors," the film studio said in a news release.

Anna Kendrick will co-star as Princess Poppy in the comic, cartoon adventure, which will be distributed on Nov. 4 by 20th Century Fox.

"I have always envisioned bringing the two worlds of film and music together for one epic event. I couldn't be more excited that they will collide in DreamWorks Animation's Trolls. This film is very special, the music is going to be very special and I can't wait for everyone to experience it all," Timberlake remarked.

"Justin is an amazingly versatile artist and producer whose unprecedented creative talents provide a unique voice and sound for our movie," DreamWorks Animation's Co-Presidents of Feature Animation Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria said in a joint statement. "Trolls is a comedy with fantastic music at its core and we can't think of a more perfect artist to elevate this soundtrack to incredible heights."