Walt Disney Studios has officially announced today that Pixar's original animated feature Soul will skip theaters entirely this fall and head straight to Disney+ on Christmas Day.
In international markets where their streaming service is not currently available, the film will still be released theatrically, but those dates are still in the process of being finalized, so expect a follow-up announcement in the coming weeks.
Soul is the second major Disney title to skip theaters this year, following Mulan, but unlike that film, Disney opted not to utilize their Premier Access model here, which is a decision that will likely be welcomed by subscribers who were increasingly turned off this past September by having to pay an additional premium on top of their monthly fees for the Niki Caro-directed adaptation.
In a statement, Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, said, “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.”
Director Pete Docter, who is also Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios, added, “The world can be an exhausting and frustrating place – but it’s also full of unexpected joys, even in seemingly mundane things. 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.”
With Soul now off the calendar, all eyes are once again on Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984, which is currently holding onto its December 25th date, but with every other major release having punted into 2021, it may only be a matter of days (or hours) before Warner Bros. opts to push the Gal Gadot-led sequel into next year as well. Also, with Jurassic World: Dominion moving into 2022, there's currently a vacant June 11, 2021 date that's very much up for grabs...
The illustrious voice cast features Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained; Collateral), 3x Golden Globe- and 9x Primetime Emmy-winner Tina Fey (30 Rock; Mean Girls), Questlove (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping; Top Five), 4x Primetime Emmy-nominee Phylicia Rashad (Creed; Empire), Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer; Hamilton), Academy Award-nominee Angela Bassett (Mission: Impossible - Fallout; Black Panther), 2x Primetime Emmy-nominee John Ratzenberger (Toy Story; The Incredibles), and BAFTA Film Award-nominee Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd; The Mandalorian).
What is it that makes you...YOU? This November, Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new feature film “Soul” introduces Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) – a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (voice of Tina Fey), who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions. Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter (“Inside Out,” “Up”), co-directed by Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) and produced by Academy Award nominee Dana Murray, p.g.a. (Pixar short “Lou”), Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” opens in U.S. theaters on November 20, 2020.
Soul arrives exclusively on Disney+ December 25