After the relative disappointment that was Onward‘s box office returns, Pixar is set to get metaphysical with Soul. The film features Jamie Foxx as an aspiring jazz musician who, on the cusp of getting his big break, unexpectedly dies. But is his story over? Well, not quite, as his soul continues on in a journey that could possibly see him return to Earth and the life he always wanted.
Pixar is taking on the afterlife, which may sound like too big of a concept for kids to understand. That is until you learn Soul comes from the mind of Inside Out director Pete Docter, who made our understanding of human emotion a fun and enlightening adventure. Surely he can do the same with the subject of man’s own mortality?
Foxx is joined in the voice cast by Tina Fey, Angela Bassett, Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, and Daveed Diggs. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will provide original music, joined by Jon Batiste on the jazz stylings.
Soul hits theaters on June 19th.
SYNOPSIS: Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime 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. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22, who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.
