Soul (2020 film)

Soul is a 2020 American animated fantasy comedy-drama directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Kemp Powers, both of whom co-wrote the screenplay with Mike Jones. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars the voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, and Angela Bassett. It follows Joe Gardner (Foxx), a middle school teacher and aspiring pianist who falls into a coma following an accident and seeks to reunite his separated soul and body in time for his big break as a jazz musician.

Docter conceived Soul in January 2016, examining the origins of human personalities and the concept of determinism. During his first meeting with Jones, he pitched the idea about spacetime involving souls with personalities. The film's producers consulted various jazz musicians, including Herbie Hancock and Terri Lyne Carrington, and animated its musical sequences using the sessions of musician Jon Batiste as a reference. Apart from Batiste's original jazz compositions, musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the film's score. Production on Soul lasted for four years on an approximate $150 million budget. It was the first Pixar film to feature a black lead.

Soul premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 11, 2020, and was scheduled for theatrical release on June 19 and November 20; however, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released direct-to-streaming on Disney+ on December 25, 2020, accompanied by the short film Burrow, and in theaters in countries without the streaming service. It was theatrically released in the United States on January 12, 2024, and grossed over $122 million at the worldwide box office. The film received critical acclaim for its story, craftsmanship, themes, characters, ideas, creativity, animation, sound design, musical score and emotional weight.

The National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named Soul one of the top ten films of 2020. It was nominated for three Academy Awards at the 93rd Academy Awards, winning two, and received numerous other accolades.