The newest Pixar film Soul premiered Christmas Day on Disney+, and fans fell in love with it instantly. The Disney movie tells the story of a man named Joe (Jamie Foxx) who suddenly finds his soul detached from his body. He desperately tries to get back while simultaneously mentoring a new soul, known as 22 (Tina Fey), on what it means to be alive. Since the film came out, it has received widely positive reviews from critics and viewers alike.
One thing that Pixar is famous for is including Easter eggs in its films. Whether they are callbacks to other Pixar and Disney films or nods to real life, there are always dozens of fun little details sprinkled throughout the movies. Soul is no exception to this rule, and it feels like there are more Easter eggs than ever!
22's Name
Many souls exist in The Great Before, and there have been billions that have gone through the You Seminar. Each of them get assigned a number, and it is assumed that these numbers go numerically. Viewers are introduced to soul number 22, who has been in The Great Before for a very long time, as evidenced by her low number name. Fans may think that the number twenty-two was assigned to her by Pixar at random, but there was a secret meaning behind it; 22 is the number of Pixar films that were released before Soul came out.
A Spark From Brave
New souls get to explore and discover hobbies and interests in attempts to find their spark before being sent down to earth. During a video presentation explaining sparks and how to find them, a young soul is seen shooting an arrow into a target, which triggers their spark.
This is a reference to Merida from Brave, who had a passion for archery and shot three bullseyes to win her own hand and avoid an arranged marriage. She probably found her spark in the Great Beginning in the same way that this young soul did!
Jimmy Shoes
Joe and 22 have an interesting time in New York as they stumble around the Big Apple in the wrong bodies. They pass by many people and places in the busy city, which leads to several Easter eggs. One hidden detail that can be seen among the many buildings is a business called Jimmy Shoes. This is a play on a popular designer and his brand, Jimmy Choo, who is famous for hand bags and shoes.
Chinese Takeout Box
Another item commonly snuck into Pixar films is a Chinese food box. It can be seen as a "magic box" in A Bug's Life as part of the bugs' circus act; Boo pops out of one in Monsters Inc.; and there is a box in Linguini's fridge in Ratatouille. It's no surprise that a takeout box appears in Soul as well, and this time, audiences see one in two different places. Once, it can be seen on the Hedge Fund Manager's desk. The second one is spotted when 22 (in Joe's body) crashes into a garbage can and knocks it over, spilling trash out onto the sidewalk, which includes the takeout box.
Famous Mentors
While 22 speaks of souls who have tried to assist her in finding her spark in the past, we learn that she has had many notable mentors including Marie Antoinette and Abraham Lincoln. It's later discovered that 22 keeps the name tags of all her past mentors on a wall in her home, and viewers get a good look at it when Joe checks it out. There are dozens of names that can be made out, including many more famous people.
Some mentors 22 has had are Martin Luther King Jr., Aretha Franklin, Harriet Tubman, Stephen Hawking, Leonardo da Vinci, and Vincent van Gogh. Additionally, Joe Grant and Joe Ranft can be spotted, which are the names of two Pixar employees who passed away.
A113
A popular Easter egg that can be found not only in Pixar movies but in many cartoons is the number A113. It refers to a classroom at the California Institute of the Arts where students learn about animation and graphic design. In this film, the famous A113 can be found three times. Once on a street sign in the Hall of Everything and once as graffiti in New York. Fans may have noticed the first two, but the third reference is a bit harder to spot. While Terry is in Joe’s apartment, he hits the A1 key on the piano that has the tuning of 113.
Partners Statue
Joe steals the identity of another soul that belonged to a man named Dr. Borgensson. While he and 22 explore the doctor's life achievements in The Hall of You, a statue can be seen of Borgensson, who is pointing with one hand and holding the hand of a young child with the other. It closely resembles a famous real-life statue showcased in many Disney parks. The statue features Walt Disney himself pointing in the same manner as Borgensson, but instead of holding hands with a kid, he holds hands with Mickey Mouse.
John Ratzenberger
Often called Pixar’s good luck charm, John Ratzenberger has voiced a character in every film since Pixar's first film. He was Hamm in the Toy Story movies, a Mindworker in Inside Out, and a school of fish in Finding Nemo.
He wasn’t mentioned in the credits for Soul, so some fans wondered if Pixar broke tradition and didn’t use Ratzenberger this time. Don’t worry; he’s in there. His voice can be heard in Joe’s memories saying, “We’re looking for something different.” He should have been mentioned in the credits for a whole line.
Next Film
Another tradition that Pixar never fails to complete is including a nod to their next film in each movie. Onward includes a hint to Soul, with the name Dorthea Williams featured on an album, and in Soul, there is a reference to the next film, Luca, when 22 and Joe walk by a travel agency. There is a poster in the window that says, "Visit Portorosso" and "Fly Luca Airlines." The titular character Luca Portorosso lives in Italy and is best friends with a sea monster disguised as a human. The film is planned to be premiere in June of 2021.
You Seminar Graduates
A common Easter egg that viewers may not know about is in the credits of all Pixar films. At the end, viewers can spot a list of "Production Babies." Production Babies are babies who were born to any of the staff during the production of the film. This time, however, the babies were featured a bit differently. Instead of being called "Production Babies," they were called, "Recent You Seminar Graduates."