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DreamWorks Animation buys Trolls brand

[April 12, 2013]  GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) -- DreamWorks Animation says it has bought the Troll brand from Denmark's Dam Things and plans to expand the fuzzy toy franchise worldwide.

DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. also said Thursday that it has hired Shawn Dennis, previously a senior vice president at doll company American Girl, to oversee the Trolls franchise and other businesses.

The company is not disclosing the financial terms of the deal. The Troll dolls were a big craze in the 1960s and saw a resurgence in the 1990s. The often unclothed Trolls are known for their grinning faces and shock of big hair that comes in many colors.

The first Troll created by Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam, who carved the doll in 1959 when he couldn't afford a Christmas gift for his young daughter Lajla. The Dam family will remain the brand's licensor in Scandinavia, DreamWorks said.

DreamWorks has previously said it is planning a Trolls film for 2015.

Shares of Glendale, Calif.-based DreamWorks closed up 11 cents at $19.62.

[Associated Press]

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