David Farnor | On 22, Apr 2021

Ever wonder what new soul 22 has against Earth in Disney and Pixar’s Soul? A new short from Pixar Animation Studios aims to find out. Called 22 vs Earth, the spin-off animation revisits the skeptical soul long before she ever met Joe Gardner.

Set before the events of Soul, the short film welcomes Tina Fey back to The Great Before as the voice of quick-witted and sarcastic soul 22. 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,” added Nolting. “The other new souls are what 22 once was before she took another path—purely innocent, blank slates to be guided by the counsellors 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.”

22 vs Earth debuts on Disney+ on 30th April.

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