One Christmas present won’t be under the tree this year — it’ll be on the TV.
Bucking industry trends of pushing major film releases months or years into the future, Disney will instead debut Pixar’s “Soul” on Disney+ Dec. 25.
And, unlike “Mulan,” “Soul” will not cost an additional $30 to rent as part of its Disney Premiere add-on. It will be available to regular subscribers at no extra charge.
The wallet-happy move is a major show of confidence in the streaming platform that the studio has dropped huge — and costly — projects on, such as Pixar’s “Onward,” “Hamilton,” “Artemis Fowl” and Beyonce’s “Black Is King.” Disney is clearly aware that regular monthly subscribers will be essential while the brick-and-mortar theater business continues to struggle during the pandemic.
“Soul,” which was supposed to be released in theaters in the spring but was pushed to Nov. 20, features the voice of Jamie Foxx as an aspiring jazz musician who, after an accident, finds his soul separated from his body. The cast also includes Tina Fey, Daveed Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, Quest Love and Angela Bassett. It’s directed by Pete Docter, the man who brought us “Up” and “Monsters Inc.”
