Let’s not sugarcoat it, folks: this year hasn’t been a good year for movies. Yes, 2020 got off to a promising start on the cinematic front, but thanks to the current health crisis, a lot of movies have either had their theatrical releases pushed back one or more times, or they’ve shifted to becoming VOD/streaming releases. Soul now finds itself in the latter category, as it’s been announced that the next Pixar feature is heading to Disney+.
Originally Soul was supposed to premiere in theaters on June 19, but it was later moved to November 20. Now Disney has changed its plans once more and will debut Soul on Disney+ on December 25. In international markets where the Mouse House still hasn’t been made available, Soul will play in theaters, with those release dates to be announced later down the line.
It’s also worth clarifying that Soul will not taking be taking the Mulan approach with its Disney+ release. In other words, rather than having to pay an additional $30 to watch Soul, the Pixar movie will be available to all Disney+ subscribers right off the bat, as was the case with Artemis Fowl and Hamilton earlier this year.
Here’s what Bob Chapek, The Walt Disney Company’s Chief Executive Officer, had to say about Soul moving to Disney+:
We are thrilled to share Pixar’s spectacular and moving Soul with audiences direct to Disney+ in December. A new original Pixar film is always a special occasion, and this truly heartwarming and humorous story about human connection and finding one’s place in the world will be a treat for families to enjoy together this holiday season.
Soul was named an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and it’s set to play at the BFI’s London Film Festival this weekend. Soul isn’t the first Pixar movie to get a special release on Disney+. Its predecessor, Onward, premiered on the streaming service in early April, approximately a month after it premiered in theaters, due to its big screen run being cut short by the pandemic.
Pixar’s 23rd feature-length film stars Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher who gets the opportunity to perform jazz music onstage, but soon after suffers an accident that results in his soul being separated from his body. Ultimately ending up in The Great Before where souls in training, like Tina Fey’s quirky 22, develop personalities and traits before being sent to Earth, Joe’s soul must find a way to return to Earth before Joe’s body dies. Soul’s cast also includes Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs, Angela Bassett, Richard Ayoade, Cody Chesnutt and John Ratzenberger.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more Soul-related updates, and be sure to scan through our 2021 release schedule to learn what movies are slated to come out next year.
