Director Pete Docter talks about the animated film “Soul”

Set in the fast-paced and jazz-centric New York City and the abstract illusionary world of The Great Before, “Soul” capitalizes on the contrasts between the big city and the cosmic realm.

“It started with my son—he’s 23 now—but the instant he was born, he already had a personality,” says Docter. “Where did that come from? I thought your personality developed through your interaction with the world. And yet, it was pretty clear that we’re all born with a very unique, specific sense of who we are.

“In our story, everyone is born with a soul,” continues Docter. “And those souls don’t just show up unprepared, they’re trained and given personality and interests.”  

Docter recognizes the idea in his own life. “I’ve been so lucky to work with some incredible people and make movies that have been seen around the world,” he says. “But I realized that as wonderful as these projects are, there’s more to living than a singular passion—as expressive and fulfilling as that may be. Sometimes the small insignificant things are what it’s really about.

“I remember one day I was biking and I stopped and picked a raspberry,” he continues.  “It was warmed by the sun and became the most amazing raspberry I ever had. I still remember that nearly-nothing moment vividly. Almost any moment in our lives could be a transcendental moment that defines why we’re here. This film is about broadening the idea of a singular focus to thinking more widely about what life has to offer and what we have to offer life.”

“Joe wants more than anything to become a professional jazz pianist,” says director Pete Docter. “So when he’s offered a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play with one of the greats, Joe feels he’s reached the top of the ultimate mountain.”  Joe Gardner, however, doesn’t feel like he belongs in this land of new souls.  Determined to return to his life, he teams up with a precocious soul, 22, who has never understood the appeal of the human experience.  22 is a precocious soul who has spent hundreds of years at The You Seminar, where new souls must meet several requirements before going to Earth. Like every soul before her, 22 has been through the Personality Pavilions, which explains her endearing sarcasm, quick wit and occasional moodiness.

“22 has had an impressive list of mentors—from Archimedes to Gandhi,” says Docter. “And Joe is just a regular guy from Queens. Instead of rolling out the usual list of amazing achievements, all he can show her are a few miserable moments in the classroom and a lot of failed auditions. But 22 is intrigued. For every person who feels like they were born to do something, there’s someone who feels like they don’t really know what they’re supposed to do.”

As Docter and filmmakers at Pixar Animation Studios were developing “Soul,” they weren’t sure at first what Joe would pursue with such passion. “We needed something that Joe could do that showed the promise of life, something that we’d all root for,” says Docter. “What if he’s a scientist or a businessman? And then almost by fate, we found this video from an online MasterClass by jazz legend Herbie Hancock.”  “When we heard that,” says Docter, “we thought that not only was it a great story, but a perfect metaphor for life. We thought jazz is really the perfect representation. Joe has to be a jazz musician.”

Filmmakers enlisted professionals from the world of jazz including Hancock, Daveed Diggs, Ahmir “Questlove”Thompson and American jazz drummer, composer, producer and educator Terri Lyne Carrington.  Jazz is an important aspect of “Soul” that filmmakers wanted to ensure that all of the performances are authentic. The effort involved several departments and hundreds of hours of work to pull it off in a way that would win the approval of jazz musicians.  Extensive reference footage was taken, using multiple camera angles, including closeups of the musician’s hands playing piano keys and the saxophone, as well as the bass and drums.

Disney and Pixar’s Soul will be available on digital, 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on March 23.  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. 

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 of Soul‘s world.
• 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.

*bonus features may vary by retailer and product