Pixar's 'Soul' to Skip US Theaters for Christmas Day Disney+ Debut

Disney is rerouting Pixar’s “Soul” to Disney+, where it will debut exclusively on the platform on Christmas Day. Unlike “Mulan,” “Soul” will be free of charge to all Disney+ subscribers.

In international markets where Disney+ isn’t currently or soon to be available, “Soul” will be released theatrically, with dates to be announced. “Soul” had been initially scheduled for a Nov. 20 release date.

“We are thrilled to share Pixar’s spectacular and moving ‘Soul’ with audiences direct to Disney+ in December,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said. “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.”

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“Soul” is directed by Pete Docter and is written and co-directed by Kemp Powers along with producer Dana Murray. It’s the story of Joe Gardner, a middle school band teacher who gets his chance 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.

It stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Angela Bassett and Daveed Diggs.

“Soul” is the latest film that Disney has moved out of theaters for 2020 and follows other films like “The One and Only Ivan,” “Artemis Fowl,” “Hamilton” and “Mulan” to take up residence on Disney+. “Mulan,” which Disney was planning as one of its next tentpole films, cost $29.99 extra (Disney called this “Premiere Access”) for subscribers; the film becomes available for Disney+ subscribers in December.

Disney had left “Soul” in its November release slot when it moved more than a dozen other titles on its release slate, including the Marvel film “Black Widow,” into 2021 and beyond. The studio attempted some marketing for the film through ABC’s broadcast of the NBA Finals, but Cineworld’s decision to indefinitely close its 538 multiplexes — the second-largest U.S. chain — made the decision to move “Soul” inevitable.

Disney has moved its entire Marvel Studios slate out of 2020, including “Black Widow,” which is now dated to come out one year later than it was originally expected. The lone Marvel Studios produced property that will debut in 2020 will be the Disney+ original series, “WandaVision.”

The move of “Soul” continues the pain for theaters, which attempted to reopen in late August but have seen box office returns remain very low due to a combination of a lack of major film releases and a general lack of customer confidence in COVID-19 safety that has affected the economy as a whole. After “Mulan” was pulled from theatrical release by Disney, Warner Bros.’ “Tenet” remained as the sole major release, grossing just $45 million domestically as September’s overall revenue dropped 90% year-over-year.

Along with Warner Bros.’ decision to push “Dune” to late 2021, it is becoming more likely that studios are abandoning 2020 entirely.

All 26 Pixar Movies Ranked, Worst to Best (Photos)

TheWrap’s film critic Alonso Duralde rates all of Pixar's features.
Also Read: Top 40 Pixar Characters, From ‘Toy Story’ to ‘Finding Dory’
26. "Cars 2" (2011) "They should let people see the movie for free," one pundit opined, "since Disney will make all their money back on the bedsheets." Some of Pixar's best movies are sequels, but this follow-up to an already inferior studio entry seemed like nothing but a craven bid for more merchandising money. The results were good for shareholders but middling for moviegoers.
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25. "Cars" (2006) Never underestimate little boys and their love for automobiles. This brightly colored but dramatically flat tale is most enjoyed by a) male moviegoers who b) saw it before they turned 10 and c) have no idea that it tells virtually the same story as the Michael J. Fox comedy "Doc Hollywood."
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24. "Cars 3" (2017) It's a movie about middle age and the fear of obsolescence -- you know, for kids! While Lightning (Owen Wilson) tries to soup himself up to take on young, faster rival Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer), the veteran racer mentors Cruz (Cristela Alonzo), a trainer who gave up her racing dreams. It's visually sumptuous and has a few good ideas, but the "Cars" series remains Pixar's blandest.
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23. "A Bug's Life" (1998) Back in 1998, the second Pixar feature was racing to the big screen against the thematically similar "Antz." Neither has achieved iconic status, notwithstanding the "Bug's"-themed kiddie area of Disneyland. The film does provide memorable voice roles for "The Ref" co-stars Denis Leary (as a manly-man ladybug) and Kevin Spacey (scaring the little ones as an ant-exploiting grasshopper).
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22. "Monsters, Inc." (2001) The things that go bump in the night are just doing their jobs, collecting the screams of boys and girls to power their monstrous alternate dimension. Leave it to Pixar to turn childhood terror into something fuzzy and huggable while also sneaking in a metaphor about over-reliance on fossil fuels.
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21. "Onward" (2020) Pixar sticks the landing with another memorable you-WILL-cry ending, but most of the movie that leads up to that denouement doesn't really merit that level of investment. Two elvish brothers have 24 hours to find a stone to bring their dead dad momentarily back to life, and while the gags and the action are fun, the character-building and world-building are both a little sketchy.
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20. "Lightyear" (2022) Ostensibly the 1995 movie that stoked young Andy's desire to get a Buzz Lightyear toy (thus kicking off the events of the original "Toy Story"), this is a perfectly-fine outer-space adventure that doesn't live up to the high standards of Pixar in general or the "Toy Story" series in particular. Chris Evans makes a suitably stolid hero, but the movie belongs to Sox (Peter Sohn), our hero's robot emotional-support cat.
19. "Monsters University" (2013) This colorful prequel, featuring Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) as college freshmen, plays like a G-rated "Revenge of the Nerds," and that's mostly a good thing. Is this the first kids' movie to suggest that higher education isn't necessarily for everyone?
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18. "Up" (2009) Like "WALL-E," this movie opens with a chunk of filmmaking perfection as we get to know the life, and losses, of our elderly hero. But while there's nowhere for his balloon-festooned house to go but up, there's nowhere for the movie to go but down after such an auspicious beginning.
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17. "Ratatouille" (2007) Follow your bliss, says this entry, even if you're a sewer rat who wants to be a gourmet chef. It's lovely, and its ending will be forever cited by critics of every medium, but some screenwriting contrivances make it good-but-not-great Pixar.
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16. "The Good Dinosaur" (2015) Frightened, awkward dino Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) travels home through a savage landscape with the helpful accompaniment of a feral boy named Spot (Jack Bright), who generally behaves like a dog, in a movie where the stakes are slighter but the character bonds are nonetheless rich.
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15. "WALL-E" (2008) The first half or so of this ecological fable -- a silent comedy about the titular robot tidying up an abandoned earth and longing for love -- is Pixar's greatest achievement. Unfortunately, it gets dragged down by a lot of loud chasing in the second half.
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14. "Brave" (2012) Despite a rough production, this saga offers us Merida, one of U.S. animation's most self-assured characters, who refuses to be married off by her father as though she were your run-of-the-mill princess. Merida's skill with a bow and arrow made archery look even more appealing than Jennifer Lawrence does in the "Hunger Games" movies.
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13. "Finding Dory" (2016) What this follow-up lacks in The Feels, it more than makes up for with The Laughs and The Thrills. Ellen DeGeneres returns as the famously forgetful fish who sets off to find the family she forgot she had. Witty, bright, and exciting, even if that tissue in your pocket winds up going unused.
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12. "Inside Out" (2015) An 11-year-old girl's brain becomes the backdrop for another hair-raising adventure, as her emotions fight to find balance during a rough patch in her life. No shortage of jokes and excitement, and early screenings have seen crusty film critics openly weeping in their seats.
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11. "Soul" (2020)

Pixar's first film with a Black lead features some of the company's finest animation (particularly its evocation of autumn in New York) and memorable music from Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, even if the script doesn't quite nail the requisite three-hanky ending.
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10. "Coco" (2017) The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration brings a young boy face-to-face with his ancestors, teaching him the importance of family and allowing him to settle a generations-old misunderstanding. Colorful, poignant, and loaded with great songs and cultural specificity.
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9. "Incredibles 2" (2018) Picking up right where the excellent original leaves off, this boisterous sequel sees the super-powered Parrs still dealing with the outlaw status of costumed heroes while Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) becomes a stay-at-home dad as Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) shoulders most of the derring-do. And villain Screenslaver is a perfect commentary both for the film's 1960s aesthetic and for the internet age.
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8. "Toy Story 4" (2019) The world didn't necessarily need a follow-up to the sublime "Toy Story 3," but this sequel is as funny, moving and eye-popping as its predecessors. And with the introduction of the hand-crafted Forky, a "Toy Story" star is born.
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7. "Turning Red" (2022) The explosion of adolescence is portrayed as both adorable and beastly, as 13-year-old Meimei (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) discovers that when she gets agitated, she becomes a giant red panda. It's an empathetic exploration of mothers and daughters and the way in which growing pains can challenge relationships without necessarily destroying them. The faux boy-band songs co-written by Billie Eilish are terrific, too.
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6. "Luca" (2021) For kids, this tale of two sea monsters assuming human form is a sweet tale of friendship and being true to yourself. For adults, there are plenty of other metaphors and readings beneath the surface that make this lovely summertime tale even more meaningful and heartbreaking.
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5. "Toy Story" (1995) The one that started it all and kick-started a whole new way of making cartoons. Its characters became instant icons while its gleaming surfaces changed animation more than any other single movie since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
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4. "Finding Nemo" (2003) Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres have the precision timing of a vaudeville comedy duo as two tiny fish who brave the big, wide ocean to rescue a missing youngster. This parable about the push and pull of parent-child dependency offers some of Pixar's finest blending of adventure and comedy.
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3. "Toy Story 2" (1999) Wherein we learn that toys need to be taken out of their mint packaging and loved if they're to be truly happy. And that a Sarah McLachlan song about a doll who misses being cared for by her owner can reduce grown men to sobbing.
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2. "The Incredibles" (2004) Probably the greatest superhero movie ever made that's not based on pre-existing characters from another medium, and better than almost every other superhero movie, period. Brad Bird's attention to character detail and freedom with gravity would serve him well later as the director of the live-action film "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."
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1. "Toy Story 3" (2010) Andy goes off to college and must leave childhood, and its playthings, behind. An exciting and funny meditation on death and growing up and I'm going to need a handkerchief now.
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