On April 30, Disney and Pixar will invite fans to step back into the Great Before. The new short “22 vs. Earth” will show us Soul 22 before Joe Gardner met her and changed her course.
The short will explore just why 22 is so cynical and bitter towards Earth and even show her efforts to bring other souls along with her on her journey. You can read the full press release from Disney and Pixar below.
BURBANK, Calif. (April 21, 2021) – Ever wonder what new soul 22 has against Earth in Disney and Pixar’s hit 2020 feature film “Soul”? A new short from Pixar Animation Studios revisits the skeptical soul long before she ever met Joe Gardner. Debuting on Disney+ on April 30, “22 vs. Earth” welcomes Tina Fey back to The Great Before as the voice of quick-witted and sarcastic soul 22.
Set before the events of “Soul,” the original short is directed by 21-year Pixar veteran Kevin Nolting. “While making ‘Soul,’ we talked about the why of a new soul not wanting to live on Earth, but it didn’t ultimately belong in that movie,” said Nolting. “‘22 vs. Earth’ was a chance to explore some of the unanswered questions we had about why 22 was so cynical. As a fairly cynical person myself, it felt like perfect material.”
In the short, 22 defies the rules of The Great Before and refuses to go to Earth, enlisting a gang of five other new souls in her attempt at rebellion. However, as her cohorts’ activities lead to unexpected results, 22’s subversive plot may actually lead to a surprising revelation about the meaning of life.
“I think the new souls make the short so fun—the contrast of their pure innocence and delight with the cynical expectations of 22,” said Nolting. “The other new souls are what 22 once was before she took another path—purely innocent, blank slates to be guided by the counselors in their mostly uneventful journey to the earth portal. 22 sees an opening in that and attempts to guide them herself into her way of thinking.”
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