To celebrate the release of Disney and Pixar’s SOUL on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital, I'm sharing a few fun facts about the film for families to enjoy.

Disney Pixar SOUL Blu-ray Fun Facts

STYLING JOE – Joe Gardner has 18 different outfit variations in the film, including a turtle neck and pants, a hospital gown, a suit that gets ripped, polka-dotted boxer briefs and a special garment his mother gifts him.

• The color and texture of Joe’s tight suit is inspired by ’80s fashion because it’s clear he’s had it a long time. Artists decided on a woolen tweed in a beige color because they felt like it wouldn’t quite fit in alongside a typical New Yorker. • The blue suit Joe wears is inspired in part by suits worn by Jamie Foxx, who provides the voice of Joe. The fabric for this suit is very fine wool with a sheen, and the design was intended to be timeless

PURR PRO – Filmmakers invited an expert on cat anatomy to come to the studio to present to the artists and technicians responsible for creating Mr. Mittens. The goal was to keep the feline grounded in reality, moving only as a real cat would. Among other discoveries, they found cats are more flexible than they’d imagined – which made for a fun challenge for the animators!

NEW YORKERS ABOUND – For the city sequences, filmmakers wanted to convey the crowded, busy streets, which meant a lot of background characters wearing a lot of garments.

• There were 208 adult crowds characters, 16 teenagers and four kids.
• Approximately 600 different garments were created and used in more than 100 unique combinations.
• The clothing included lots of layers, including t-shirts, hoodies, long jackets, infinity scarves—the tailoring and simulation of all of those garments and layers was Pixar’s most complex effort for crowds characters to date.

CHEW ON THAT – Pixar’s efforts to create authentic worlds got a little sticky when it came to the New York City sequences. Filmmakers who visited the city on research trips noticed a lot of black spots on the ground in the city—the source? Chewing gum that’s been walked on by millions of New Yorkers. Those spots found their way into the film’s sets.

BACK IN TIME – The cinematography for New York sequences in the film was inspired by the shooting style of 1970s films. The lens package was actually inspired by films from the era like “Manhattan,” “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Marathon Man” in an effort to achieve the kind of distortion, aberrations and style filmmakers wanted in those scenes, allowing the focus to be on the characters while the chaotic background falls away.

Music is a key component in Pixar Animation Studios’ feature “Soul.” Jazz compositions & arrangements are by globally renowned musician and GRAMMY® nominee Jon Batiste, while Oscar® winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social Network”) composed an original score.

Filmmakers did extensive research, employing musical consultants from Terri Lyne Carrington to Herbie Hancock. The voice cast includes extraordinary talent from the music world, including Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who is the musical director for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and a member of The Roots, and Daveed Diggs, who won a Grammy® and Tony® Award for his portrayal of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the musical “Hamilton.

But it turns out the filmmakers and members of the voice cast are no strangers to the music world.

• Director Pete Docter grew up in a musical family and plays the double bass. “My folks are both teachers and both musicians. There are three kids and we all became musicians. I think my mom enjoyed having the Von Trapp family; when people would come over, we'd have to perform. My two sisters stuck with it—one is a cellist with the Metropolitan Opera, and the other one is violist and a teacher.”

• Co-director Kemp Powers played the alto saxophone and is passionate about jazz. “A lot of us Gen Xers, particularly Black Gen Xers, fell in love with the bebop-era jazz artists—John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, of course Herbie Hancock. These guys were musical icons that—specifically in New York City—inform so much of the other big musical genre in the city, which is hip hop. The background tunes of my life are jazz and hip hop.”

• Jamie Foxx, the voice of Joe Gardner, could relate to the character. “I was born with a similar spark—I came out singing and telling jokes.” Foxx, who plays piano himself, won an Oscar® and Golden Globe® for his performance in 2004’s “Ray.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND – Filmmakers actually went to a middle school in Queens to absorb the environment for the school featured in the movie. Band teacher Dr. Peter Archer served as a consultant on the film.

Filmmakers recruited a middle school jazz band from Oakland to record for the opening sequences. But the idea for them to perform the Disney fanfare came later, and professional musicians were tasked with playing poorly.

THE RIGHT TOUCH – It was important to filmmakers to showcase authentic piano playing during Joe’s jazz performances. Multiple camera set-ups captured reference footage of Jon Batiste’s fingers on the keys. New technology was employed that lit up 3 piano keys on the rig based on the music, allowing animators to place Joe’s fingers perfectly.

THE GREATS – Taking a cue from real-life jazz clubs that have framed photos of the greats who’ve played there, the Half Note features 50-60 caricatures of famous jazz musicians on its walls.



The digital and physical releases of “Soul” will include exclusive, never-before-seen deleted scenes and audio commentary by Pete Docter, Kemp Powers and Dana Murray. Additionally, fans can find the film packaged as a collectible SteelBook® at Best Buy and packaged with a limited-edition gallery book at Target.

Recipient of the American Film Institute’s Movie of the Year Award and winner of the National Board of Review’s Best Animated Feature in addition to being included on its Top Films list, “Soul” is loved by critics and audiences alike.

SYNOPSIS

Jamie Foxx leads an all-star cast in this hilarious, heart-filled adventure. Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” introduces Joe, who lands the gig of his life at the best jazz club in town. But one misstep lands Joe in a fantastical place: The Great Before. There, he teams up with soul 22 (Tina Fey), and together they find the answers to some of life’s biggest questions.

Voice Cast: Jamie Foxx as the voice of Joe Gardner, Tina Fey as the voice of 22, Phylicia Rashad as the voice of Libba, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson as the voice of Curley, Angela Bassett as the voice of Dorothea, Daveed Diggs as the voice of Paul, Graham Norton as the voice of Moonwind, Rachel House as the voice of Terry, Alice Braga as the voice of Counselor Jerry, Richard Ayoade as the voice of Counselor Jerry, Wes Studi as the voice of Counselor Jerry, Fortune Feimster as the voice of Counselor Jerry, Zenobia Shroff as the voice of Counselor Jerry, Donnell Rawlings as the voice of Dez, June Squibb as the voice of Gerel

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, p.g.a. (Pixar short “Lou”).

Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” Bonus Features*

• Deleted Scenes
• Introduction – Writer Mike Jones and story supervisor Kristen Lester introduce the “Soul” deleted scenes.
• Mentor Orientation – Joe sneaks into the You Seminar Mentor Program orientation, trying to figure out how on earth he can get back to ... Earth.
• Clubhouse Forgery – Joe follows 22 into her “secret lair” as she reluctantly agrees to help him find his way back to Earth.
• Home Lessons – Stuck inside Joe’s body, 22 clumsily attempts to help the downstairs neighbor.
• Living the Dream – Joe has a heart-to-heart with 22 about her fear of living on Earth, then tries to make his way back home via a dream portal.
• Press Shot – Joe, stuck in a cat’s body, and 22, stuck in Joe’s body, take the subway to the jazz club for a publicity photography session.
• Audio Commentary – View the film with audio commentary by director Pete Docter, co-director/writer Kemp Powers and producer Dana Murray.
• Not Your Average Joe – See the thought and care that went into crafting Joe and his story in Pixar’s first film to feature a Black leading character.
• Astral Taffy – Get an in-depth look at the artistry and technical innovation that went into creating the sets and characters in the world of “Soul.”
• Pretty Deep for a Cartoon – The filmmakers tackle big questions, such as where does a newborn’s personality come from, what’s the meaning of life, and more!
• Into the Zone: The Music and Sound of Soul – Explore the movie’s different sonic worlds and discover how music drives and adds specificity to Joe’s journey.
• “Soul,” Improvised – See how the Pixar Systems team and “Soul”’s crew managed to finish the film on schedule during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Jazz Greats – Giants of the jazz world who consulted on “Soul” share their passion and hard-won wisdom about what music is and does for us all.

To learn more, visit - www.disneymovieinsiders.com/movie/soul-2020

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