Another one bites the dust… but though Pixar‘s Soul is the latest title to be pulled form cinematic schedules, it is one of the titles finding life on the Disney+ platform, following in the wake of Mulan‘s reasonably-successful move.
The animated film tells of a musician who has lost his passion for music, but is transported out of his body and must find his way back with the help of an infant soul as they both learn ‘life lessons’. It stars stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Daveed Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, and the Pixar mainstay John Ratzenberger.
The film was due to hit screens 20th November but will now appear on Disney+ on Christmas Day – a perhaps savvy move for a film to recoup something through subscriptions. However early indications are that rather than go with the specific Mulan-format of being an optional premium addition to users of the service, it will essentially be free to users.
In an official statement, Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company said: “We are thrilled to share Pixar‘s spectacular and moving ‘Soul‘ with audiences direct to Disney+ in December. 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.”
“The world can be an exhausting and frustrating place – but it’s also full of unexpected joys, even in seemingly mundane things,” added Pete Docter, the film’s director and the 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.”
It appears likely that Soul will get a theatrical release in the foreign territories where Disney+ is not available.
