Pixar’s ‘Soul’ will be released to Disney+ instead of theaters

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Pixar’s “Soul” will skip a theatrical release in favor of being streamed on Disney+.

Evan Pattee

Pixar’s newest original animated feature “Soul” is coming to Disney+ on Dec. 25.

The film was originally set for a worldwide theatrical release Nov. 20, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney has made the decision to release the movie on their streaming service. Like many other film companies, Disney has had to push back projects and skip theater premieres in favor of an online release.

In September, Disney tried to make up for the loss of big box office revenue by charging viewers a fee of $29.99 to watch their live-action remake of “Mulan” on Disney+. The decision received so much backlash since Disney+ subscribers found it ridiculous they had to pay a steep fee to watch a film on a streaming service they already pay to use. In response to this, Disney plans to release “Soul” with no extra fees.

“Soul” is Pixar’s first Black-led feature film with Jamie Foxx voicing the main character, Kemp Powers co-directing the movie and many other Black actors, musicians and creative workers providing their talents to the project.

The film is about Joe Gardner (Foxx), an aspiring African American jazz musician who works as a middle school music teacher in Queens. After receiving a call for a breakthrough gig, Gardner suffers an accident that separates his soul from his body. As his soul is on the steps to The Great Beyond, Gardner falls off and ends up in The Great Before, the place where souls develop their passions, traits and quirks before being sent off to Earth. With the help of 22 (Tina Fey), a soul-in-training who has a bleak outlook on the concept of life, Gardner must find a way back to Earth before his body dies and get to his gig before his rival, Paul (Daveed Diggs), steals his dream.

With the director of “Monster’s Inc.” (2001), “Up” (2009) and “Inside Out” (2015), Pete Docter, having co-written and co-directed the film, there is no doubt “Soul” will be an insightful and emotional story for children growing up and adults still finding who they want to be.

“Soul” releases on Disney+ Dec. 25.