While so many movies that were planning to be released in theaters this year have gotten pushed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, “Soul” won’t be one of them. The Walt Disney Company announced on Thursday that the new original feature from Pixar Animation Studios will debut exclusively on Disney Plus on December 25, 2020. In international markets where Disney+ isn’t available, “Soul” will be released theatrically with details to follow.
This hot Oscar contender follows middle school band teacher Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who gets the opportunity of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one day, he finds himself in a fantastical world known as The Great Before, a place where new souls develop before they arrive on Earth.
“Soul” is directed by Pete Docter, who’s the two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker behind 2009’s “Up” and 2015’s “Inside Out,” along with Kemp Powers, who’s the playwright behind “One Night in Miami,” which serves as the basis for Regina King‘s feature directorial debut. The film also features the voice talents of Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, Angela Bassett and Daveed Diggs, with original jazz music by globally renowned musician Jon Batiste and a score composed by Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social Network”).
“We are thrilled to share Pixar’s spectacular and moving ‘Soul’ with audiences direct to Disney+ in December,” said Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “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.”
“The world can be an exhausting and frustrating place – but it’s also full of unexpected joys, even in seemingly mundane things,” said Docter, director of “Soul” and Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios. “‘Soul’ investigates what’s really important in our lives, a question we’re all asking these days. I hope it will bring some humor and fun to people at a time when everyone can surely use that.”
“Soul” was previously scheduled for a theatrical release on November 20, 2020. Per Disney, the film was also “named an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year along with multiple upcoming festivals including the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival this Sunday.”
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