The 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic was a game changer for the world of entertainment. For nearly a year theaters were shut down due to health concerns, leading to many big budget films from studios getting either delayed or releasing direct to consumer.



Pixar was one of these studios affected by the pandemic, with their 2020 film Onward being pulled early and three of their later films being released straight to Disney+ and skipping a theatrical run. 2020’s Soul, 2021’s Luca, and 2022’s Turning Red were all released digitally. It wasn’t until 2022’s Lightyear that Pixar returned to the big screen.

But now, in a move nobody saw coming, these three films finally get their chance to shine in theaters in the first quarter of 2024. 

An official statement from Pixar via their social media states, “Experience all the emotions for the first time ever IN THEATERS! See Disney and Pixar’s Soul, Turning Red, and Luca on the big screen in 2024“.



Soul is set to release on January 12th, Turning Red is set to release on February 9th and Luca is set for release on March 22nd. It is unknown why they switched the release order for Turning Red and Luca since Luca was released a year before Turning Red. 



However, despite the effort to try and give these films a chance in theaters, the films have since been available to stream and even purchase on home media for years now. This isn’t like the failed Disney Premier Access program with films like Raya and The Last Dragon. 



Whatever the reason, it is still nice to see Disney and Pixar release older films back on the big screen. Perhaps hardcore fans who wish to support Pixar will show up and watch them on the big screen.

But with the easy access of Disney+, audiences have seemingly been trained to skip theaters and wait. We will have to wait and see how these are received before we cast and judgment. 

Source: IGN