Pixar's theatrical re-release of Soul, which first debuted on Disney+ back in 2020 due to the pandemic, failed to attract audiences in its opening weekend. Playing in 1,350 locations, Soul grossed an estimated $429,000 over three days, and $557,000 over the four-day holiday weekend.
It's unclear what Disney's expectations for the film were, but its re-release always felt more like artistic merit and giving the movie its proper due in theaters. The company originally referred to its re-release in theaters as "the way they were meant to be seen."
Box office expectations for a film that was released back in 2020 couldn't have been high, but a Pixar movie failing to crack even $1 million domestically -- especially with no real competition in the animation space -- has got to be disappointing for Disney. It also doesn't bode well for the next two Pixar re-releases Disney has planned.
In addition to Soul, Disney plans to release two other Pixar movies that were also sent straight to Disney+ instead of theaters due to the pandemic. 2022's Turning Red will release in theaters on February 9 followed by 2021's Luca on March 22. All of this will lead into the release of Inside Out 2 on June 14, 2024.
Perhaps then, re-releasing these three older films is simply to reinforce the fact that Pixar movies once were, and still are, meant to be watched on the big screen. One of the big factors that many attribute to Pixar's box office struggles is that Disney trained families to expect Disney+ debuts.
Prior to Soul's theatrical re-release, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Doctor tried to explain why these three movies, which are available on Disney+, are coming now to theaters. He tried to justify their re-release by explaining how they were "made to be seen on the big screen."
"Every frame has been pored over by the artists and technicians here, and it’s a different experience," he explained.
When asked how the theatrical experience adds to the enjoyment of a film like Soul, he detailed:
If you remember the film, our main character Joe falls through a manhole and he’s in this weird abstract space and on your screen, it looks cool. However, on a big screen in a theater, it takes up the whole wall, and you’re immersed into this weird world. Then there’s the sound design, too… When you hear it all around you, it is just a different beast. It’s amazing.
Do you plan on seeing any of the three Pixar re-releases in theaters?