Although we’re still waiting on the release of their next feature Soul, the prolific master animators at Pixar aren’t slowing down a breath, announcing their next Disney co-production Luca for next summer.
Little is known after Pixar’s official Twitter announcement, but the film’s description should get gears turning for eager fans:
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.
A logo and piece of concept art accompany the announcement. Right off that bat, it sounds as if Luca has the locale and attitude appropriate for capturing the feel-good atmosphere so heavily promoted by Pixar’s work with Disney.
The film is being directed by Enrico Casarosa, a veteran of more than ten years at Pixar, having worked on storyboards for modern classics like Ratatouille and Up, then working up to story team supervision on the likes of The Good Dinosaur and The Incredibles 2. It’s the sort of progression we often see in staffing of Pixar films, but with Luca set to be Casarosa’s directorial debut at Disney this could be an exciting showcase for some of the studio’s behind-the-scenes talent.
Casarosa spoke a little on the film, calling it “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.”
Pixar’s latest film is the jazz-infused Soul, directed by Inside Out helmer Pete Docter. Originally slated for release June 19th this year, it was delayed to November 20th, 2020 amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Luca, meanwhile, is set for release June 18th, 2021. Stay tuned for more news and info on all things Pixar.
Source: Variety
