If there is any “brand” under the Disney umbrella that has seemingly been hurt the most since COVID began in 2020, it’s Pixar. What was once the premier animation studio in the entire film industry has turned into a struggling branch of the Disney content factory, with three of its last five films being sent straight to Disney+. But now, with Disney looking for any sort of brightspot after a year of turmoil, those streaming films might be the answer.
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All that to say—Disney has seemingly seen the error of its ways and has decided to put “Soul,” “Luca,” and “Turning Red” into theaters for the first time ever in 2024. Beginning in January with “Soul,” then continuing in February and March with “Turning Red” and “Luca” respectively, film fans are finally going to get the chance to see three quality Pixar films in theaters for the first time ever. As mentioned, previously, these films were relegated to straight-to-Disney+ during the pandemic, which drew the ire of many animation film fans.
This news comes after one of the bright spots of 2023 being the release of “Elemental.” Though it had a rough beginning, the most recent Pixar film had strong legs at the box office and ended its run with nearly $500 million globally. This is after 2022’s disastrous “Lightyear” and the previous COVID releases. Suffice it to say, “Elemental” was a much-needed hit for Pixar and Disney and further proved that children’s films can still do well in an uncertain box office era. Thus, three Pixar films are getting the big-screen release they always deserved.
READ MORE: Pixar Exec Says ‘Lightyear’ Failed Because “We Asked Too Much Of The Audience”
Now, keep in mind these aren’t likely to be massive box office killers. “Soul,” “Luca,” and “Turning Red” are all multiple years old and have lived on a streaming service that entire time. So, there are lots of people who have already seen them (on repeat, if they have kids) for a long time. Those people might not be the ones going to theaters. However, there are plenty of people who might not have Disney+ and have been looking for a good reason to hit the cinema. In that case, these are all great options.
Here are the release dates:
“Soul” – January 12, 2024
“Turning Red” – February 9, 2024
“Luca” – March 22, 2024
