Pixar's Soul is the latest Disney film to skip a theatrical release. Following last month's report that the animated family film could head straight to Disney Plus, the House of Mouse announced today that it will, indeed, debut exclusively on the streaming service.
Soul will release on December 25 and unlike Mulan, which also premiered on Disney Plus, there will be no extra cost to watch it. Disney charged an additional $30 premium on top of the monthly $6.99 per month for Disney Plus subscribers to watch Mulan when it premiered on September 4. Disney is estimated to have brought in around $260 million with Mulan through Disney Plus but with Soul, it seems the company is content with appeasing its 60.5 million Disney Plus subscribers with feature content while also trying to attract new members.
“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 was originally slated to release in theaters in June, but was postponed to November 20 amid the coronavirus pandemic. While studios continue to push back their films, Disney decided to forgo a theatrical release altogether. The announcement comes days after Cineworld, which owns Regal in the U.S., announced plans to temporarily close all 536 locations. Even though competitors AMC and Cinemark don't intend to close, studios aren't willing to risk a potential box office flop.
"The world can be an exhausting and frustrating place – but it’s also full of unexpected joys, even in seemingly mundane things. Soul’ investigates what’s really important in our lives, a question we’re all asking these days," added Soul director Pete Doctor. "I hope it will bring some humor and fun to people at a time when everyone can surely use that.”
Soul follows a man named Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), a middle school band teacher who gets the chance to play at the best jazz club in town. Unfortunately, a small misstep sends him to The Great Before, where souls get their personalities before they go to Earth. While there he meets 22 (voiced by Tina Fey) and together the two attempt set off to discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.
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.
Soul arrives exclusively on Disney+ on December 25.