Posted in: Disney, Exclusive, Interview, Movies, Pixar | Tagged: disney, movies, pixar

Soul: Director Pete Docter Talks Remaining Tethered to Childhood

There has always been a fundamental difference between a family film and a kids film. A kids film is a movie that parents will take their kids to see in a theater [or they did before the world caught on fire and the United States failed to get its act together when it comes to a pandemic] or they put on while at home but they aren't really paying attention to it. It's a nice distraction and there might a few parts they like, but the movie really only appeals to the kids. A family film is one that appeals to everyone in a family and where the adults get just as much out of it as the kids do. Pixar is a studio that knows how to family films and Soul isn't any different. One of the reasons Pixar works so well at making family films is because they don't treat kids like small, dumb adults.

We got the chance to speak to director Peter Docter, producer Dana Murray, and co-director and writer Kemp Powers at an early press day for Soul earlier this year and Doctor mentioned that remaining tethered to childhood isn't just important for the people at Pixar but for anyone in the entertainment business.

Yeah, totally. I mean, well, I think it's important for any of us in the entertainment business, but especially at Pixar, to kind of remain somewhat tethered to childhood, to remember what that's like and what the world is," Docter explained. "But then, you know, it helps for me to have kids. We all, Dana [Murray] and Kemp [Powers] as well have kids. So, you know, just watching them and having them in the back of your head when you're watching something. I know for me that was always the case. When we put something on the screen, I'm like, oh? What's my kid going to think? Dana, I've heard you kind of reference that, too."

"Yeah," Murray continued. "And I just love that we ask big questions because I think kids ask big questions. They just say it differently."

Check out the audio from our full interview below [because something happened with the video that we can't seem to fix] and look for a review of Soul to go up later today.

A musician who has lost his passion for music is transported out of his body and must find his way back with the help of an infant soul learning about herself.

Soul, directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Kemp Powers, stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Daveed Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, and John Ratzenberger. It will be released on Disney+ on December 25th.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!