Disney and Pixar have confirmed that three animated features that were forced to premiere on Disney+ due to the COVID-10 pandemic will finally be receiving a release in theaters.
Pixar's Soul, Turning Red and Luca will be hitting North American theaters this winter. Soul will be up first, with a release on January 12, followed by Turning Red on February 9. Luca will then close things out on March 22.
Additionally, the SparkShort Burrow will be accompanying Soul, while the short Kitbull will be attached to Turning Red. For the Birds will be playing before Luca.
Check out the trailer and poster for the special screenings below. Additional information from Pixar's press release also follows.
ABOUT SOUL (Jan. 12, 2024)
What is it that makes you…YOU? Pixar Animation Studios’ “Soul,” Oscar® winner for best animated feature film, 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. Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter (“Inside Out,” “Up”), co-directed by Kemp Powers (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “One Night in Miami”—Oscar® nominee for best adapted screenplay) and produced by Academy Award winner Dana Murray, p.g.a. (Pixar short “Lou”), Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” also won the Oscar for best achievement in music written for motion picture (original score by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste), as well as Golden Globes® for best motion picture—animated and best original score—motion picture (Reznor, Ross, Batiste), and GRAMMY® for best score soundtrack for visual media (Reznor, Ross, Batiste). “Soul” will open in theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.
In “Burrow,” a young rabbit embarks on a journey to dig the burrow of her dreams, despite not having a clue what she’s doing. Rather than reveal to her neighbors her imperfections, she digs herself deeper and deeper into trouble. After hitting (bed)rock bottom, she learns there is no shame in asking for help. Directed by Madeline Sharafian and produced by Mike Capbarat, “Burrow” is part of Pixar Animation Studios’ SparkShorts program.
ABOUT TURNING RED (Feb. 9, 2024)
Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red” introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! Directed by Academy Award® winner Domee Shi (Pixar short “Bao”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (“Finding Dory”), “Turning Red” was nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature film, as well as a Golden Globe for best motion picture—animated. “Turning Red” opens in theaters Feb. 9, 2024.
Pixar Animation Studios’ SparkShort “Kitbull,” directed by Rosana Sullivan and produced by Kathryn Hendrickson, reveals an unlikely connection that sparks between two creatures: a fiercely independent stray kitten and a pit bull. Together, they experience friendship for the first time.
ABOUT LUCA (March 22, 2024)
Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer), but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface. Directed by Academy Award® nominee Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”) and produced by Andrea Warren (“Lava,” “Cars 3”), “Luca” was nominated for an Oscar for best animated feature film and a Golden Globe for best motion picture—animated. “Luca” releases in theaters on March 22, 2024.
In Pixar Animation Studios’ Academy Award®-winning short film “For the Birds,” small birds mock a big bird who tries to join them on a telephone wire. Written and directed by Ralph Eggleston and produced by Karen Dufilho-Rosen, “For the Birds” initially opened in front of Disney and Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” in 2001.