37 Details And Easter Eggs That You Missed In "Luca"
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Luca is set in the 1950s in the Italian province of Liguria. The coastal town where most of the action takes place was directly inspired by a group of five medieval Italian towns collectively known as Cinque Terre.
Disney+ / Via giphy.com
The movie is replete with references to Ligurian cuisine and culture, the Italian film industry, and of course Pixar's Easter eggs. We're here to help explain them.
1.At the very outset, the movie makes it clear that the town of Portorosso is situated in the Liguria province, as the village of Corniglia (one of the Cinque Terre) is situated next to it.
2.The surname of Giulia's family is Marcovaldo — a nod to author and journalist Italo Calvino, who had written a short story collection by the name of Marcovaldo.
3.The town square, Piazza Calvino, is also a homage to Calvino.
Italo Calvino was a Havana-born Italian journalist whose parents later settled in the Italian province of Liguria.
4.In this room, you can see a hat just like Mr. Fredricksen's from Up.
5.There's also a boot from WALL-E that had the plant — it lies under the hammock.
6.The alley behind Giulia's house is called Via Vernazza, a reference to the village of Vernazza, one of the villages constituting Cinque Terre.
7.Bar Pittaluga is a homage to Stefano Pittaluga.
Stefano Pittaluga was an Italian film producer from Genoa (same place where the director of Luca is from) who played an important role in helping the infant Italian film industry stand on its feet in the early 20th century.
8.The restaurant Gustosa is most likely a nod to chef Gusteau from Ratatouille.
9.Via Piaggio is a reference to the director's childhood as he grew up on the street of Via Piaggio in Genoa. It is also a tribute to Enrico Piaggio, the industrialist whose eponymous company manufactures Vespa scooters. Piaggio was born in a village close to Genoa, where the director is from.
10.The road Via De Amicis is a reference to the Italian journalist, novelist, and travel writer Edmondo De Amicis, best known for his classic children's novel Cuore.
11.The Vicolo de Sica is a reference to the Italian director Vittorio De Sica, best known for the 1948 movie Bicycle Thieves.
12.The most famous Italian actor, Marcello Mastroianni, makes a cameo.
13.In a dream sequence, we see Pinocchio with the lame fox and blind cat.
14.The poster of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a Disney movie, is clearly visible in the background.
15.The poster of the famous 1953 movie Roman Holiday is seen in the background. This movie was shot in Rome.
16.The poster of one of the best-known Italian classical movies, La Strada, is visible in the background.
17.The name of the boat, Gelsomina, is another reference to La Strada, whose protagonist's name is Gelsomina.
18.The name of the town, Portorosso, is a direct reference to a movie by Hayao Miyazaki, Porco Rosso. The protagonist of the latter is an Italian pilot.
19.The cat's name, Machiavelli, is a tribute to the renowned Renaissance-era Italian political thinker, Niccolò Machiavelli.
20.A wooden board outside the bar reads "Chinotto." Chinotto is a famous Italian drink made from chinotto citrus fruit from the Liguria province.
21.The name of the boat is a reference to focaccia bread, an integral part of the Ligurian cuisine. The story takes place in the province of Liguria.
22.The Pizza Planet vehicle, another staple of Pixar movies.
23.The Luxo Ball, a staple of every Pixar movie.
24.1200 PA refers to the street address of Pixar, 1200 Park Avenue.
25.Another classic Pixar Easter egg: A113. It refers to the classroom at CalArts where some of the Pixar animators got their start.
26.The swimming helmet is the one from Finding Nemo.
27.The mustachioed gentleman wearing a cap is voiced by Enrico Casarosa, the director of the movie.
28.The boat name is a reference to Abuelita in the movie Coco.
29.There's a Donald Duck doll on the floor, and the cover of a book reads "Nicolo Pietra," who is an animator at Pixar.
30.The device in which Luca and Giulia are flying are based on Leonardo da Vinci's design of the flying machine.
31.In a scene that shows Luca and Giulia moving on rooftops like cat burglars, the Italian heist film Big Deal on Madonna Street is seen playing on a TV.
32.The dish "trenette al pesto" is a Ligurian favorite.
33.Via Corniglia is a reference to the town of Corniglia, one of the towns of Cinque Terre. The town of Portorosso is directly based on the towns of Cinque Terre.
34.A poster for the quintessential Italian soft drink Gassosa appears at the railway station.
35.The number on the front of the train is the ZIP code of Pixar's studio.
36.Luca's dog is named after the Roman emperor Nero.
37.Alberto's pet tortoise is named after the Roman emperor Caligula.
