‘Luca’: Pixar’s Next Film Is A Summertime Coming-Of-Age Story In The Italian Riviera

If this were a coronavirus-free world, we would have already experienced Pixar’s latest film, Soul. While we’re still a few months away before that afterlife comedy hits theaters, Pixar is already developing what comes next. The animated feature Luca will transport us to the gorgeous, sun-kissed Italian Riviera when it opens next summer.

Pixar has debuted concept art for Luca, an original film from Oscar-nominated La Luna director Enrico Casarosa, based on his own childhood. On board to produce is Andrea Warren, known for working on Cars 3.  Our first look at Luca comes in the form of concept art, a gorgeous piece featuring two kids diving off the cliffs of the Italian Riviera. It looks like an image from Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, or maybe The Kings of Summer.

While these two are clearly loving life to the fullest, one of the boys is hiding a potentially dangeous secret…he’s actually a sea monster.

SYNOPSIS: 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. 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.”

Are we sure Guadagnino had nothing to do with this?

Here’s what Casarosa had to say about the movie and why it means so much to him…

“This is a deeply personal story for me, not only because it’s set on the Italian Riviera where I grew up, but because at the core of this film is a celebration of friendship. 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.’ 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.”

Luca is currently set to open on June 18th 2021.

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.