Disney and Pixar announce a new upcoming animated movie, Soul, and sets the film's release date for June 2020 while revealing the first details. Pixar Animation Studios has become a major behemoth in the realm of animated features over the last three decades, ever since debuting with the beloved Toy Story in 1995. Pixar now falls under the umbrella of Walt Disney Studios, which has its own animation arm, but Pixar has set itself apart from other animation studios with its irreverent storytelling and unique properties.
In recent years, Pixar has garnered criticism for focusing too much on sequels to its most beloved films, and less on delivering original concepts - which earned the animation studio its stellar reputation. However, Pixar is focusing more on original movies following the release of Toy Story 4 this month, the first of which will be Onward. Starring Tom Holland and Chris Pratt as elf brothers heading out on an adventure to find some magic left in their world, the first Onward trailer has already released ahead of its March 2020 release date. Now, Pixar has announced its second movie for 2020 - and it's another original premise.
Disney and Pixar announced today that the new original movie Soul will hit theaters on June 19, 2020, revealing the film's logo. Further, Pixar released the first details about the movie, revealing Soul will take viewers on some kind of adventure through New York City and "cosmic realms." See the first details about and logo for Soul below.
Ever wonder where your passion, your dreams and your interests come from? What is it that makes you... YOU? In 2020, Pixar Animation Studios takes you on a journey from the streets of New York City to the cosmic realms to discover the answers to life’s most important questions.
Soul will be directed by Pete Docter (Up, Inside Out) and produced by Dana Murray ("Lou"). Based on the first details for Soul, it sounds like a movie along the lines of Inside Out, which went inside the head of a young girl and followed her personified emotions through a difficult transition in her life. While Inside Out focused more on the brain, though, it seems Soul will dive into a person's, well, soul to uncover what makes a person who they are. It's unclear how this concept will be realized, if aspects of the soul will be personified like Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust represented different emotions in Inside Out. But it's clear from the brief synopsis that Soul will be rooted in the real world of New York City, then dive deeper into "cosmic" worlds for its story.
As for whether Soul will connect with viewers as much as Inside Out, that seems like a good possibility. Pixar has gained a well-earned reputation for releasing films that resonate with moviegoers young and old, managing to explore very difficult emotions while still offering plenty of levity. The concepts being explored in Soul are similarly tough, giving Pixar an even greater challenge. But if Pixar has proved anything with successes like Inside Out, it's that Soul has the potential to be a wonderfully emotional hit among moviegoers of all ages.
Source: Disney