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Pixar’s newest movie, Soul, is following in the path of Mulan and bypassing theaters to hit Disney Plus. The movie will debut exclusively on the platform on Dec. 25, 2020. In international markets where Disney Plus has yet to launch, the film will play theatrically.
Directed by Pete Docter (Up, Inside Out) and Kemp Powers (writer of Regina King’s upcoming One Night in Miami), Soul is an existential comedy focusing on what life is like before birth. It follows a musician named Joe (Jamie Foxx) who, after scoring the gig of a lifetime, falls into a manhole. Instead of calmly heading toward the afterlife, Joe flips out and finds himself in the pocket dimension where souls learn how to have personalities.
There, Joe meets a grumpy soul named 22 (Tina Fey) who refuses to go to Earth and live, because she doesn’t think it’s worth it. The movie dives into all the good parts of living, and looks like it’ll be a celebration of all the small things that make life enjoyable ... which may hit particularly heavily as we imagine what it would’ve been like to watch Soul on a big screen in a movie theater.
“The world can be an exhausting and frustrating place — but it’s also full of unexpected joys, even in seemingly mundane things,” said Docter in a statement. “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.”
“We are thrilled to share Pixar’s spectacular and moving Soul with audiences direct to Disney Plus in December,” said Bob Chapek, CEO of 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 previous Pixar flick, Onward, was one of the last movies to premiere in theaters before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in full force. It made the jump to Disney Plus just a few weeks after its theatrical debut.
