“Soul,” “Luca” and “Turning Red,” three Pixar favorites that premiered exclusively on Disney+ during the pandemic, are finally getting their big theatrical releases. “Soul” will hit theaters on January 12, “Turning Red” will be in theaters on February 9 and “Luca” will be released in theaters on March 22. Described as a “special theatrical engagement” the movies will be playing nationwide for the first time. All three debuted on Disney+ during the pandemic or shortly thereafter.
All three movies will be accompanied by Pixar shorts. “Soul” will be accompanied by the charming SparkShort “Burrow” (which was supposed to accompany the movie when it was planned for a theatrical release); “Turning Red” is paired with the SparkShort “KitBull;” and “Luca” will be preceded by the classic Pixar short “For the Birds” from 2000, written and directed by the late, great Pixar legend Ralph Eggleston.
“Soul” hit Disney+ on Christmas Day, 2020. It went on to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar and the Best Original Score Oscar for the music by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste. It explored what happens when a man (Jamie Foxx) falls down a manhole and winds up in the “Great Beyond,” a spiritual netherworld, where he’s paired with another unborn soul (Tina Fey) and attempts to get back to his earthly body.
“Turning Red,” originally released on Disney+ on March 11, 2022, was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar earlier this year and explores a young girl (Rosalie Chiang) who discovers her family curse – when she gets excited she turns into a giant red panda. “Luca” was released on Disney+ on June 18, 2021 and was also nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. It follows a sea monster named Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and his BFF Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) as they try to live as humans on dry land.
