During a virtual panel at last night's Essence Festival of Culture, director Pete Docter, co-director and screenwriter Kemp Powers and producer Dana Murray partnered with American anthropologist/educator Dr. Johnnetta Cole and globally-renowned jazz pianist Jon Batiste to share an exclusive sneak peek at Disney and Pixar's next animated adventure, Soul.
The clip features the brand new song “Parting Ways,” which was written, produced and performed by Cody ChesnuTT.
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).
Soul is currently slated to hit theaters worldwide on November 20, but that date may be subject to change depending on the status of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. While a theatrical debut is undoubtedly their first choice, a straight-to-digital PVOD launch, similar to what they did with Onward, may also be in consideration if the public health crisis doesn't improve by this fall.
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.