Pixar announces Summer 2020 release date for cosmic journey feature Soul

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

When Pixar Animation Studios announces a new feature film project, one would expect there to be quite a bit of fanfare. I'm talking about dance parties in the streets and mouse ears that light up, sending neon streaks into the night air. However, the beloved studio that's about to make everyone cry their faces off this weekend with the release of TOY STORY 4, quietly announced via Twitter that their next feature, SOUL, will arrive in theaters one year from today on June 19, 2020.

You can see the tweet for yourself below, which frames SOUL as a cinematic journey that will take moviegoers "from the streets of New York City to the cosmic realms to discover the answers to life's most important questions."

In addition to the film's logo, Pixar also released a tagline for the film: “Ever wonder where your passion, your dreams and your interests come from? What is it that makes you… YOU?”

Helming what's bound to be an emotionally epic odyssey into the heart of the unknown is UP and INSIDE OUT director Pete Docter, with Oscar nominee Dana Murray ("LOU" short) producing. With SOUL making its way into theaters next year, Pixar now has two feature films set for 2020. The first will be the previously announced animated adventure ONWARD. Directed and written by MONSTERS UNIVERSITY helmer Dan Scanlon, ONWARD stars Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer for an animated adventure set in a suburban fantasy world, where two teenage elf brothers embark on a quest to discover if there is still magic out there.

Wow! I must say that I'm a little surprised by the premise for SOUL. I mean, it's not uncommon for Pixar to venture into the hearts and minds of the human condition, but Docter's new joint sounds like it could get deep. After all, this is the filmmaker who brought us INSIDE OUT, a film that left me emotionally crippled by the time the end credits started rolling. Seeing as he has a knack for tugging on heart strings while also expanding minds, I've no doubt that Docter and his team will bring something weird, wild, and wonderful to the big screen next summer. Let's go!