Pixar's Soul Gets Magical, Musical First Trailer

While much of Pixar's recent movie output has consisted of sequels such as The Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4, the studio is set to release two new original movies in 2020. Onward hits theaters in March, with Soul following in June. The first trailer for Soul has now been released.

The promo sets up the basic plot, in which jazz musician Joe seemingly dies after falling down a manhole in the city. He wakes up as a ghostly soul in some strange, dark place where he meets another soul named 22, who wants only to be remembered for a "funny cowboy dance." The trailer doesn't reveal much more than that, but it looks as intriguing, funny, and visually stunning as we've come to expect from Pixar. Check it out below.

Soul stars Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained) as Joe, Tina Fey (30 Rock) as 22, and Phylicia Rashad (Creed) as Joe's mother, with musicians Questlove and Daveed Diggs also part of the cast. It's directed by Pixar boss Pete Docter, who also previously helmed Inside Out, Up, and Monsters Inc. Soul releases on June 19, 2020.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Docter talked about the origins of the movie's concept. "We talked to a lot of folks that represented religious traditions and cultural traditions and [asked], 'What do you think a soul is?'" he said. "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."

In related news, Pixar fans can check out a series of new animated short films on Disney+, when the service launches next week. The series is named Sparkshorts, and the six shorts have been made by upcoming animators at the studio.