If you’ve seen Onward, you’ll know Pixar’s latest is stuffed with Easter Eggs – not just fun background gags (Centaur arcade game ‘Prance Prance Revolution’, anyone?) but nods to Dungeons & Dragons lore and, of course, a host of other Pixar movies. All Pixar films famously include nods to the others – and also tease something from the studio’s next film to come. That’s absolutely the case with Onward, which includes a fun reference to Pete Docter’s upcoming metaphysical jazz odyssey Soul.
Speaking to Empire for an upcoming Spoiler Special podcast talking all things Onward, director Dan Scanlon pointed out exactly where you’ll find the Soul Easter Egg in his contemporary fantasy-adventure. "There's a jazz performer in [Soul] named Dorothea Williams,” he explains. “Our movie doesn't have any human beings in it so we thought, how are we going to get a nod in there?” If you look closely, you'll see an item connected to the character, set to be voiced by Angela Bassett. “Early on in act one, when Barley is racing over to clean up his game that Colt Bronco has knocked over, you can see the Lightfoot family have a bunch of albums. The top album is a Dorothea Williams album,” reveals Scanlon. “I was like, that's a good place to put it in there."
Find out plenty more about the making of Onward and its hidden secrets in Empire’s upcoming Spoiler Special podcast, which will be made available via our subscription service. Haven’t signed up to the Empire Spoiler Special Podcast yet? Head this way for more information and to get on board. Onward is out now in UK cinemas, and Soul is due to arrive here on 19 June.
READ MORE: Every Pixar Movie Ranked – From Toy Story To Onward