Pixar’s Next Film, Luca, Will Be an Adventure in the Italian Riviera….With a Twist

Pixar’s Next Film, Luca, Will Be an Adventure in the Italian Riviera….With a Twist

Though we’re still a ways out from the premiere of Pixar’s next movie Soul, the studio’s already hard at work on its next animated feature Luca, a sun-drenched, summertime adventure inspired by director Enrico Casarosa’s childhood.

Today, Disney broke the news about Luca’s impending arrival next winter and provided a few interesting tidbits about what to expect from the movie: the story of a young boy having the time of his life while hanging out with his new best friend while summering in the Italian Riviera. But it turns out that friend is hiding a magical alter-ego.

“Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides,” Disney said in a provided press release. “Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: he is a sea monster from another world just below the water’s surface.”

Though Cararosaa didn’t provide more plot points, he described how Luca’s both a love letter to his own childhoods spent in Italy and a story about how the friendships we make as children can go on to be some of the most powerful relationships in our lives.

“Childhood friendships often set the course of who we want to become and it is those bonds that are at the heart of our story in Luca,” said Casarosa. “So in addition to the beauty and charm of the Italian seaside, our film will feature an unforgettable summer adventure that will fundamentally change Luca.”

Interestingly, the studio did provide a tentative release date — June 18, 2021 — but one can only hope that by next winter, people are going to be able to go back to movie theatres safely.