Christmas Day moviegoers may be disappointed with a lack of theater options this year, but Disney Plus subscribers have something to look forward to. Disney announced that Pixar’s Soul is skipping theaters and will debut exclusively on Disney Plus in time for Christmas.
Unlike Mulan, which required subscribers to pay an additional $29.99 on top of their monthly fee to access the movie, Pixar’s Soul will exclusively join the Disney+ library starting December 25.
The comedy, which was previously scheduled for a June release before being postponed to November amid the coronavirus pandemic, stars the voice talents of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Angela Bassett and Daveed Diggs, as well as, original jazz music by globally renowned musician Jon Batiste. Take a look at the tweet from Disney Plus below:
Disney and Pixar’s Soul will be streaming exclusively on Disney+ on December 25th. ✨ #PixarSoul #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/DOi31hbBoQ
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) October 8, 2020
“We are thrilled to share Pixar’s spectacular and moving ‘Soul’ with audiences direct to Disney+ in December,” said Bob Chapek, chief executive officer 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.”
“Soul” concerns Joe, a middle-school band teacher, whose true passion is playing jazz, and who gets his dream gig moments before he dies. Take a look at the trailer below:
The trailer opens with Joe asking, “What would you want to be known for on Earth?” A montage follows that shows people in their everyday lives, including commuting in a busy city and working jobs like a doctor, barber and hedge fund manager. “We only have a short time on this planet. You wanna become the person that you were born to be? Don’t waste your time on all the junk of life,” Joe continues in a voiceover.
On his journey to get back to his own body, Joe meets Tina Fey‘s 22, a soul who can’t stand humans but helps Joe on his mission across the cosmos. Other characters are voiced by Blindspotting‘s Daveed Diggs, The Cosby Show‘s Phylicia Rashad, and The Roots drummer Questlove.
“The world can be an exhausting and frustrating place – but it’s also full of unexpected joys, even in seemingly mundane things,” said Pete 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 will get a theatrical release in those foreign territories where Disney+ isn’t available.