Pixar’s Pete Docter Explains Why ‘Soul’, ‘Turning Red’, and ‘Luca’ Are Coming to Theaters
With the 2024 box office lacking new releases due to last year’s Hollywood strikes, Disney is pouncing on the opportunity and releasing three Disney+ Pixar films on the big screen.
On January 12, fans, young and old, will get a chance to see Soul, Luca, and Turning Red the way they were meant to be seen- in a movie theater.
When discussing the decision to finally show the films in theaters, Pixar’s CCO, Pete Docter, was adamant that the films were created to be seen on the big screen.
“They were made to be seen on the big screen. Every frame has been pored over by the artists and technicians here, and it’s a different experience. Hopefully, people have seen them on Disney+, and we’re very thankful to have had that platform to release them because otherwise the pandemic would have put them on the shelf,” he began.
Source: pixar.fandom.com
“But we’re really excited for people to go back to theaters with their friends and see it together. The scale and the community are all reasons to go.”
A Whole Different Experience
In addition to heading Pixar, Docter is also a director. In fact, it was the Pixar CCO who directed Soul. By releasing the three Disney+ films in theaters, Docter believes that audiences will be able to experience the movies in an all-new way.
“If you remember the film, our main character Joe falls through a manhole and he’s in this weird abstract space and on your screen, it looks cool. However, on a big screen in a theater, it takes up the whole wall, and you’re immersed into this weird world. Then there’s the sound design, too… When you hear it all around you, it is just a different beast. It’s amazing,” Docter explains.
In many ways, the release of Soul, Turning Red, and Luca in theaters recreates the viewing experience that many of us had with classic Disney films.
Long before the introduction of home video, Disney would periodically release its animated classics in theaters, giving a new generation a chance to experience the wonder of seeing the films on the big screen.
“I think people will see things that they didn’t even notice. You see it on the big screen and you’re like, “Whoa, the detail there, that’s crazy.” There’s just a lot to see in those movies,” Docter says.
Photo: Disney/Pixar
“And, you know, as we’re working on these movies, we’re watching the same movie for years. So it’s packed with all sorts of inside jokes and details. There’s just a lot to see.”
So, Which Film is Best?
When it comes to which one of the three movies will be the best to see in theaters, Docter is just a little biased.
“Well, I directed ‘Soul’, so I’m biased, but it really depends on what you’re into. For me, my goal in making Soul was I wanted people to be entertained. But at the end of the movie, go, ‘Oh yeah, we have to go get some ice cream and talk about this,’ because while it’s fun it also asks questions like, ‘What is your passion?’ ‘What makes you so driven in your life and is that what you’re all about?’ ‘Is that what life is all about?’ So, there are some big questions that I think—in a perfect world—will spark discussion among friends.”
“‘Turning Red’ is obviously super fun. It’s like going back to middle school with all the triumphs and tribulations of that. Then obviously ‘Luca’ is kind of like going on summer vacation. Go out to the theater and spend some time in Italy. Sure, you go there in your mind, but you may come out relaxed. It really depends on what you’re looking for.”
Photo: Pixar
Soul, Luca and Turning Red will hit theaters on January 12.
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