Pixar Shares Details About Next Original Film ‘Luca’

Rebecca Rubin
Updated ·2 min read

Pixar announced its next original animated movie will be called “Luca,” a coming-of-age adventure set in Italy. It will release in U.S. theaters next summer.

Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”) is directing the film, which is expected to open on the big screen on June 18, 2021. Disney shared details about “Luca” on Thursday after word started to leak online that the company filed a trademark application for the title.

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“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,’” Casarosa said in a statement. “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” centers on a young boy living on the Italian Riviera, who shares adventures with his newfound best friend. But a dark secret about his true identity (he is a sea monster from another world just below the water’s surface) seeks to threaten that bond. The voice cast has yet to be announced.

Before “Luca” sees its big-screen debut, Pixar has “Soul” slated to premiere on Nov. 20. Disney delayed that film, which was originally scheduled for June, because of prolonged theater closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Soul” follows a middle-school music teacher (voiced by Jamie Foxx), whose dreams of being a jazz performer are put on hold after he gets in an accident that causes his soul to leave his body.

Earlier this year, Pixar’s fantasy adventure “Onward” launched shortly before the global health crisis forced cinemas to close. It ended its box office run with $100 million globally before Disney released it early on digital rental platforms.

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