Pixar has released the first teaser trailer, poster, and image for Soul, a brand new film coming to theaters next summer.
What’s happening:
- Pixar has shared a new image, poster, and the first teaser trailer for their upcoming film, Soul.
- In addition to the new visuals, director Pete Docter and the Soul creative team revealed more details about the film and where the idea came from.
- Set in New York City, Soul tells the story of Joe Gardner a middle-school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz.
- The sounds of jazz music will enhance the movie, Pixar tapped musician Jon Batiste to compose original jazz music for this film. On top of Batiste’s contributions, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social Network”), from Nine Inch Nails, are creating an original score that will drift between the real and soul worlds.
- Additionally,Entertainment Weekly also offered fans a First Look exclusive, revealing the new image of the main character, Joe voiced by Jamie Foxx.
What they’re saying:
- Pete Docter on the idea for the story: “It started with my son—he’s 23 now—but the instant he was born, he already had a personality. Where did that come from? I thought your personality developed through your interaction with the world. And yet, it was pretty clear that we’re all born with a very unique, specific sense of who we are.”
- Kemp Powers on the character of Joe: “I think Joe is having that crisis that all artists have. He’s increasingly feeling like his lifelong dream of being a jazz musician is not going to pan out and he’s asking himself ‘Why am I here? What am I meant to be doing?’ Joe personifies those questions.”
- Powers on the New York City setting: “I was born and raised in New York. This is the first time Pixar has gone to my hometown and I’ve been so impressed by the amount of energy that goes into making sure that everything is right. When the character’s in Queens, it looks like he’s in Queens. When he’s in Manhattan, it looks like he’s in Manhattan. It’s pretty incredible.”
- Docter on Jon Batiste and jazz music: “I grew up with Peanuts cartoons and the Vince Guaraldi music. I feel like it’s coursing through my veins and this is our version of that. Jon Batiste is a fantastic musician—he’s a historian yet is able to push the music forward, bringing all these different influences to the work. I sincerely hope that the jazz music in Soul will inspire a whole new generation.”
- Dana Murray on the score: “The contrast that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross bring is really exciting. It’s an unexpected choice for Pixar—this is like nothing we’ve ever done before.”
- Murray on Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey’s characters: “The comedy comes naturally. But the subtle emotion that reveals the truth to the characters is really something special.”
Synopsis:
- “Just when Joe thinks his dream might be in reach, a single unexpected step sends him to a fantastical place where he is forced to think again about what it truly means to have soul. That’s where he meets and ultimately teams up with 22, a soul who doesn’t think life on Earth is all it’s cracked up to be.”
Soul voice cast:
- Jamie Foxx as Joe
- Tina Fey as 22
- Phylicia Rashad
- Ahmir Questlove Thompson
- Daveed Diggs
Creative team:
- Directed by:
- Pete Docter
- Co-directed by:
- Kemp Powers
- Produced by:
- Dana Murray
Disney and Pixar’s Soul opens in theaters on June 19, 2020.