Is the bloom coming off the rose on Pixar? For 20+ years the company has had nothing, but unimpeachable money-making hits that routinely dominate the animation field at the Oscars. Lately, their films have been less rapturously received by audiences, critics and the box-office boons haven’t been as big—see their most recent release “Onward,” which performed well last weekend, but perhaps underwhelmed somewhat from a Pixar perspective.
READ MORE: 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2020
Then again, the company is trying to set up a new generation of films and be less dependent on sequels. Their latest, “Soul,” is about a musician (Jamie Foxx) who has lost his passion for music. He is transported out of his body and must find his way back with the help of an infant soul learning about herself.
READ MORE: The 100 Best Films Of The Decade [2010s]
Here’s the official synopsis:
READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2019
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.
Featuring the voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Angela Bassett, Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Daveed Diggs, “Soul” is directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter (“Inside Out,” “Up”), co-directed by Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) and produced by Academy Award nominee Dana Murray (Pixar short “Lou”). Globally renowned musician Jon Batiste will be writing original jazz music for the film, and Oscar®-winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social Network”), from Nine Inch Nails, will compose an original score that will drift between the real and soul worlds.
“Soul” is due in theaters this year June 19, 2020. Watch the new trailer below.