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| distributor = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]]<!-- Disney+ is the platform where Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures released the film, not the distributor itself-->
| distributor = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]]<!-- Disney+ is the platform where Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures released the film, not the distributor itself-->
| released = {{Film date|2020|12|25|United States}}
| released = {{Film date|2020|10|11|[[BFI London Film Festival]]|2020|12|25|United States}}
| runtime = 100 minutes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival/screenings/soul |title=Soul - BFI |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=October 8, 2020}}</ref>
| runtime = 100 minutes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival/screenings/soul |title=Soul - BFI |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=October 8, 2020}}</ref>
| country = United States
| country = United States

Revision as of 22:48, 20 November 2020

Soul
File:Soul Poster.jpeg
Official release poster
Directed byPete Docter
Written by
Produced byDana Murray
Starring
Cinematography
  • Matt Aspbury
  • Ian Megibben
Edited byKevin Nolting
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates
Running time
100 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150 million+[3]

Soul is a 2020 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Kemp Powers, from a screenplay and story by Docter, Powers, and Mike Jones. The film stars the voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs, and Angela Bassett.

Soul premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 11, 2020. Originally intended to be a theatrical release, it will be digitally released on Disney+ on December 25, 2020. The film received critical acclaim and holds a rare 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised its animation, story, voice acting, and music.

Premise

Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher, has long dreamed of performing jazz music onstage, and finally gets a chance after impressing other jazz musicians during an opening act at the Half Note Club. However, an untimely accident causes Gardner's soul to be separated from his body and begin to proceed to the Great Beyond; Gardner manages to escape to the Great Before, a world where souls develop personalities, quirks, and traits before being sent off to Earth. There, Gardner must work with souls in training at the Great Before, such as 22, a soul with a dim view on the concept of life, in order to return to Earth before his body dies.[4]

Voice cast

Additionally, Cody Chesnutt voices a singer with a guitar.[13] John Ratzenberger,[14] Cora Champommier, Margo Hall, Rhodessa Jones, Sakina Jaffrey, Calum Grant, Laura Mooney, Peggy Flood, Ochuwa Oghie, Jeannie Tirado, and Catherine Cavadini[10] have been cast in undisclosed roles.

Production

Development

In January 2016, it was announced that Pete Docter, head of Pixar, was working on a new film.[15][16]

In June 2018, it was announced that Docter was planning to complete his film despite being appointed Chief Creative Officer at Pixar after John Lasseter's departure.[17] In June 2019, Pixar announced a new film titled Soul with Docter directing and Dana Murray producing,[18] with a synopsis released on Twitter about a cosmic journey through New York City.[19]

Writing

Murray said that the film will take audiences "to a world where no one's ever been ... for a long time", while co-writer/co-director Kemp Powers said that it is "completely different" to Docter's previous films. Powers also said that the film will answer important questions in "a really fun way".[20] Tina Fey also contributed to the screenplay, having helped to write her character's lines.[20]

Pixar chose to portray the film's main character as a musician, because they wanted a "profession the audience could root for", and settled for a musician after trying for a scientist, which "[didn't feel] so naturally pure as a musician's life".[20] Docter described Soul as "an exploration of, where should your focus be? What are the things that, at the end of the day, are really going to be the important things that you look back on and go, 'I spent a worthy amount of my limited time on Earth worrying or focused on that'?".[20]

According to Docter, once they settled on the main character being a jazz musician, the filmmakers choose to make the character African-American, as they felt it made sense due to how closely African-Americans have been tied to jazz history.[21][22] Powers originally joined as co-writer early in development to help write the character of Joe, but he was ascended to co-director after his extensive contributions to the film, making him Pixar's first African-American co-director.[22] Powers based several elements of Joe on his personal life, as the character's story shared several elements with Powers' own, but also wanted him to "trascend [his] own experience" in order to make the character more accessible.[21] In order to portray accurately African-American culture within the film, the filmmakers hired several consultants with whom they worked closely with through the film's development; among them were several Pixar employees, musicians Herbie Hancock, Terri Lyne Carrington and Jon Batiste, and stars Questlove and Daveed Diggs.[21]

Casting

On August 24, 2019, Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad and Daveed Diggs were announced as starring in the film.[4][5] Soul is Pixar's first film to feature an African-American protagonist.[23] On March 17, 2020, Angela Bassett announced she was in the cast.[8] On April 13, 2020, John Ratzenberger joined the voice cast.[14] On May 4, 2020, Powers announced that Richard Ayoade joined the film's voice cast.[11] On October 9, 2020, Graham Norton announced he was in the cast.[9] Later that month, on October 15, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Wes Studi, Fortune Feimster, Zenobia Shroff, Donnell Rawlings and June Squibb were announced to be in the cast.[12]

Animation

The filmmakers animated the souls featured in the film in a "vaporous", "ethereal", and "non physical" way, having based their designs on definitions about souls given to them by various religious and cultural representatives. Docter described it as "a huge challenge", as the animators are "used to toys, cars, things that are much more substantial and easily referenced", though he felt the animation team "really put some cool stuff together that's really indicative of those words but also relatable".[20] According to Murray, several artists helped create the souls' designs by giving their suggestions and opinions on how they should look.[24] The designs were also inspired by early drawings made by Docter.[25] Animators created two designs for the souls in the film; one for the new souls in "The Great Before", which animation supervisor Jude Brownbill described as "very cute, very appealing, with simple, rounded shapes and no distinguishing features just yet", and one for mentor souls, which do feature distinctive characteristics due to having been on Earth already.[25] Animators also created a distinctive design for 22, as the character hasn't been on Earth but has began to evolve.[25] Pixar animators created an "unprecedent" technique of line drawing to complete the film's screen image.[24]

According to Powers, the animators used lighting as a way to indicate that there are characters of color in "The Great Before".[26] Cinematographer Bradford Young worked as a lighting consultant on the film.[26] Animators used footage of several music performers, including jazz composer Jon Batiste, performing as reference for the film's musical sequences.[26] According to animator MontaQue Ruffin, animators made several trips for research in order to accurately animate the film's African-American characters, as well as its settings.[25]

Music

During the 2019 D23 Expo, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were revealed to be composing the film's score, while Jon Batiste is set to be writing jazz songs for the film. Soul is the first Pixar film directed by Docter since Monsters, Inc. (2001) not to be scored by Michael Giacchino (Monsters, Inc. was composed by Randy Newman).[4] Batiste composed jazz music for the film's New York City sequences, while Reznor and Ross wrote an instrumental score for the scenes taking place in "The Great Before".[21] Batiste said that he wanted to create jazz music that felt "authentic", but also "accessible to all ages".[21] He also wanted the themes to tie into the "ethereal nature" of "The Great Before" while still being on Earth.[21] Batiste also sometimes worked with Reznor and Ross to "blend the two worlds, musically".[21] Cody Chesnutt also wrote, produced, and performed an original song for the film, titled "Parting Ways".[27] Batiste also arranged a new version of the song "It's All Right", originally performed by The Impressions, for the film.[28] The end credits will feature Ben Rector's song "Brand New".[29]

Release

Soul was originally scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on June 19, 2020,[30] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was delayed to November 20, 2020. This slot replaced Disney Animation's film Raya and the Last Dragon, whose release was delayed to March 12, 2021.[31] On June 3, 2020, Soul was selected as part of the line-up for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival.[32] On September 8, 2020, it was announced that the film would have its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 11, 2020.[33][34]

On September 15, 2020, Variety reported that Disney was considering the cancellation of the film's theatrical release replacing it with a premiere of the film on Disney+, though a Disney insider disputed the claim.[35][36] On September 17, Soul was selected as part of the line-up for the Rome Film Festival, as the opening film on October 15, 2020.[37] On September 23, amid a shuffle of release date changes from Disney, the studio announced that the film will stay theatrical on November 20.[38] However, on October 8, 2020, Disney announced that the cancellation of the film's theatrical release had been confirmed altogether, and it would premiere exclusively on Disney+ on December 25, 2020. The film will have a traditional theatrical release in countries without Disney+, where theaters have re-opened.[39] Unlike Mulan, the film will not be released as a "premiere access" release, and will be free for all subscribers.[40]

A new 2D animated short film from Pixar's "SparkShorts" titled Burrow was initially announced to appear before the film had it premiered theatrically.[41] On October 9, 2020, it was announced the short would also premiere on Disney+.[42] That same day, it was announced that Soul would be the subject of a documentary chronicling Pixar's attempts to finish making the film during the pandemic. No further details were announced as to how and when it will be released.[43]

Reception

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Soul has an approval rating of 100% based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The site's critics consensus states, "A film as beautiful to contemplate as it is to behold, Soul proves Pixar's power to deliver outstanding all-ages entertainment remains undimmed."[44] According to Metacritic, which compiled nine reviews and calculated an average score of 94 out of 100, the film received "universal acclaim".[45]

Joe Utichi of Deadline Hollywood called the film "a joy to behold".[46] Kaleem Aftab of IndieWire gave the film an "A–", calling it a "captivating journey" and writing "Like some of the best jazz compositions, it uses a traditional framework to veer off in many unexpected directions, so that even the inevitable end point feels just right."[47]

Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "peak Pixar" and "miles ahead and sublime in every sense", and praised the soundtrack.[10] Jason Solomons of TheWrap said the film "aims admirably high, yet ultimately can't quite fulfill the scale of its ambitions" but "it pops with colorful visuals and gentle wisdom while the story clips along despite the dizzying height of the concept."[48]

Home media

Soul will be released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Digital HD on January 5, 2021, followed by a DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray release on February 9, 2021.

References

  1. ^ Glardyna, Carolin (August 24, 2019). "'Soul' Cast: Pixar Reveals Names At D23". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  2. ^ "Soul - BFI". British Film Institute. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  3. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (September 15, 2020). "A 'Black Widow' Delay Might Benefit Disney in the Short Term — If Theaters Can Survive". IndieWire. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Fuster, Jeremy (August 24, 2019). "'Soul': Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey Star in Pixar's Most Existential Adventure Yet". The Wrap. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d Radulovic, Petrana (August 24, 2019). "Pixar's latest film Soul is a metaphysical comedy with the studio's first black lead". Polygon.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c @TheDisInsider (August 24, 2019). "'Soul' will feature music from John Batiste and original score from Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross. Questlove from The Roots will be playing a Jazz Drummer, Phylicia Rashad plays Joe's mother, Daveed Diggs also starring, as well as Tina Fey and Jamie Foxx" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ Aftab, Kaleem (October 11, 2020). "'Soul' Review: Pixar's Jazzy Existential Celebration Is One of the Studio's Very Best". IndieWire.
  8. ^ a b Angela Bassett [@ImAngelaBassett] (February 22, 2020). "Hey Everybody you good? This summer, discover your brilliant, passionate self! So thrilled to finally let the world know that I am part of Disney and Pixar's new movie Soul! You'll be hearing a lot more from my character Dorothea Williams very soon. #PixarSoul" (Tweet). Retrieved March 17, 2020 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ a b Graham Norton [@grahnort] (October 9, 2020). "Very excited! Disney and Pixar have a new funny, sweet, incredibly timely film called Soul, and .... I'm in it! This is my character Moonwind, a spiritual sign twirler. See the movie exclusively on Disney+ from 25th December.#PixarSoul @PixarSoul" (Tweet). Retrieved October 10, 2020 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ a b c d Felperin, Leslie (October 11, 2020). "'Soul': Film Review | London 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Kemp Powers [@powerkeni] (March 13, 2020). "Richard Ayoade is also one of my favorites. In fact, it was my idea to ask him to be in the film! I still watch old installments of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace!" (Tweet). Retrieved May 4, 2020 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h "New Trailer Debuts for Disney and Pixar's 'Soul,' Coming to Disney+ on December 25". The Walt Disney Company. October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  13. ^ Pixar's 'Soul' Releases New Teaser Trailer (Watch)
  14. ^ a b Sneider, Jeff (April 13, 2020). "Disney Moves Pixar's 'Soul' to Fall, 'Raya and the Last Dragon' to Next Year". Collider. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  15. ^ "Pete Docter - Oscars: What the Nominees Are Saying". The Hollywood Reporter. January 14, 2016. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  16. ^ "Film Reviews, Hong Kong Cinema Listings & Interviews – Time Out Hong Kong | Interview: Pixar president Jim Morris – 'The Good Dinosaur'". Time Out. June 2, 2016. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  17. ^ Verlaque, Juliette (June 22, 2018). "End of an Era: Inside Pixar on the Eve of John Lasseter's Departure". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 19, 2019). "'Soul' Will Be Pixar's Big Pic Next Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  19. ^ Soul [@PixarSoul] (June 19, 2019). "One year from today, Pixar Animation Studios will take 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. Disney & Pixar's 'Soul' arrives in theaters on June 19, 2020" (Tweet). Retrieved June 19, 2019 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ a b c d e Romano, Nick (November 6, 2019). "Pixar bares its Soul in first look at film with Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Soul - "Finding Soul" Conversation - Essence Festival
  22. ^ a b 'Soul' Producer Murray Reflects on Cannes-Selected Animated Feature
  23. ^ Sherlock, Ben (October 13, 2019). "Everything We Know (So Far) About Pixar's Soul". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  24. ^ a b Creators of Pixar's 'Soul' share their vision
  25. ^ a b c d Pixar’s ‘Soul’ Ponders Why Life is Worth Living
  26. ^ a b c Interview: How the directors of Pixar’s Soul artfully animated the afterlife
  27. ^ 'Soul' Trailer: Pixar Sneaks 'Parting Ways' Song from Studio's First Black-Led Feature
  28. ^ "Jazzy Pixar 'Soul' Song Debuts on 'Dancing With the Stars'"
  29. ^ [1]
  30. ^ "Disney release schedule" (PDF) (Press release). Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. May 7, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  31. ^ Fuster, Jeremy (April 13, 2020). "Disney Moves 'Soul,' 'Raya and the Last Dragon' Release Dates". TheWrap. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  32. ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2020". Festival de Cannes. June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  33. ^ Grater, Tom (September 8, 2020). "BFI London Film Festival To Screen 'Soul', 'Nomadland' At Hybrid 2020 Edition". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  34. ^ "Soul". BFI London Film Festival. September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  35. ^ Rubin, Rebecca; Lang, Brent (September 15, 2020). "'Black Widow' Eyes New Release Date, 'Soul' May Move to Disney Plus". Variety. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  36. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 15, 2020). "'Black Widow' Pondering Release Date Move; 'Soul' Could Still Stay Theatrical". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  37. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (September 17, 2020). "Pixar's 'Soul' Will Open Rome Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  38. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 23, 2020). "'Black Widow' Jumps To Summer 2021, Spurring Marvel Pics Release-Date Shift; 'West Side Story' Delayed A Year; 'Soul' Stays Theatrical". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  39. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Hipes, Patrick (October 8, 2020). "Disney/Pixar's 'Soul' Moving To Christmas Day Release On Disney+". Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  40. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 8, 2020). "Pixar's 'Soul' Bypasses Theaters, Sets Disney+ Christmas Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  41. ^ Laughing Place Disney Newsdesk (September 26, 2020). "2D Animated Short "Burrow" To Premiere With Pixar's "Soul" In Theaters on November 20th". Laughing Place. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  42. ^ What's On Disney Plus (October 9, 2020). "PIXAR SPARKSHORTS "BURROW" COMING SOON TO DISNEY+". What's On Disney Plus. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  43. ^ Romano, Nick (October 9, 2020). "Pixar's Soul to get documentary about finishing film amid COVID quarantines". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  44. ^ "Soul (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  45. ^ "Soul Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  46. ^ Utichi, Joe (October 11, 2020). "Film Review: Pixar's 'Soul' Recalls The Lofty Ambitions Of The Studio's Finest". Deadline. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  47. ^ Aftab, Kaleem (October 11, 2020). "'Soul' Review: Pixar's Jazzy Existential Celebration Is One of the Studio's Very Best". IndieWire. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  48. ^ Solomons, Jason (October 11, 2020). "'Soul' Film Review: Pixar Gets Existential in Dizzying Animated Film". TheWrap. Retrieved October 11, 2020.

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