By As with basically every other film currently in production, Disney has delayed both Pixar’s Soul and its own Raya and the Last Dragon by a few months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Soul was originally scheduled for a June release, but it now taking Raya’s spot on November 20, 2020. Raya has been pushed to next year and will open on March 12, 2021.
The delay is a pretty big blow for Pixar. Its earlier 2020 film, Onward, could be considered a box-office bomb due to releasing just before the pandemic became a widespread issue. People already weren’t seeing it, but then government suggested self-isolation kept people away even longer. It will be interesting to see if its digital release (and eventual Disney+ push) helped recover costs. Regardless, the studio is likely not wanting to repeat the same scenario by releasing Soul too early.
Raya is more a case of Disney being cautious. With practically every film by the company hit with some kind of delay, the extra time should ensure that no production issues are encountered.
Pixar’s ‘Soul‘ Delayed From June to November Amid COVID-19 Pandemic [The Hollywood Reporter]
