Pixar Releases First Trailer for Soul

After releasing Toy Story 4 this year, Pixar is looking ahead to a future filled with original movies, leaving the recent wave of sequels behind. In 2020, the beloved animation studio is releasing not one, but two brand new original features into theaters. The first, Onward, is a fantasy adventure that sends two elf brothers on a magical journey to learn about their late father. The second, Soul, is a much more inward-looking sort of film, one that will remind fans more of Inside Out than any other Pixar feature in the past.

The new film is about a jazz musician who is forced to put his dreams on hold when he becomes a teacher. When he suddenly dies in an accident, his soul is sent to a new place called You Seminar, and his after life adventure begins. It's a premise that promises to be a tear-jerker, and Pixar has finally released the first bit of footage. You can watch the first trailer for Soul in the video above!

Jamie Foxx stars as Joe Gardner in Soul, and he's joined by a stellar cast that includes Tina Fey, Daveed Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, and Questlove. The film is directed by Pixar president Pete Docter, from a script he co-wrote with Mike Jones and Kemp Powers.

"We talked to a lot of folks that represented religious traditions and cultural traditions and [asked], 'What do you think a soul is?'" Docter said in a recent interview. "All of them said 'vaporous' and 'ethereal' and 'non-physical.' We were like, 'Great! How do we do this?' We're used to toys, cars, things that are much more substantial and easily referenced. This was a huge challenge, but I gotta say, I think the team really put some cool stuff together that's really indicative of those words but also relatable."

What do you think of the new trailer for Soul? Are you going to check it out when it arrives next year? Let us know in the comments!

Soul is set to hit theaters on June 19, 2020.