Luca is a 2021 American computer-animated coming-of-age fantasy comedy drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is directed by Enrico Casarosa in his directorial debut, written by Mike Jones and Jesse Andrews, and produced by Andrea Warren. The film stars the voices of Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, and Jim Gaffigan.
The film is based on the English-and-Italian book of the same name by Dr. Seuss and Saverio Giacomo Bianchi.
The film tells the story of Luca Paguro, a sea monster boy with the ability to assume human form while on land. With his friend Alberto Scorfano, they explores a seaside town on the Italian Riviera, trying to live a carefree life in what will be an unforgettable summer. Director Enrico Casarosa describes the film as an "homage to Fellini and other classic Italian filmmakers, with a dash of Miyazaki in the mix too."[1]
Luca is scheduled to be released on June 18, 2021.[2]
Synopsis[]
Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film “Luca” 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: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.[3]
Plot[]
In the 1950s–1960s, Luca Paguro, a timid young sea monster, herds goatfish off the coast of the Italian city of Portorosso. His parents, fearing that humans might hunt him, forbid him to approach the surface. One day, Luca meets Alberto Scorfano, a fellow sea monster child who lives alone above the surface, claiming that his father simply is not around much. Alberto encourages Luca to adventure out of the ocean, showing him that sea monsters turn into humans when dry, but return to their true forms when wet. Luca follows Alberto to his hideout, where the boys connect while making and riding a makeshift, fragile Vespa. Upon discovering their son's actions, Luca's parents plan to send Luca to live in the deep sea with his uncle Ugo. In retaliation, Luca and Alberto run away to Portorosso to find a real Vespa and travel the world.
The boys run afoul of Ercole Visconti, the local bully and repeat champion of the Portorosso Cup Triathlon, who tries to dunk Luca in a fountain. Giulia Marcovaldo, a young girl, helps them escape. In hopes of winning the money needed for a Vespa, the boys and Giulia form a team for the triathlon, which involves swimming, pasta-eating, and biking. Unable to swim without revealing themselves, Luca and Alberto respectively take on the biking and pasta-eating races, while Giulia takes the swimming race. Upon learning this, Ercole vows to beat the group.
While the boys train for the race, and befriend Giulia's fisherman father Massimo (who was born with only one arm), Luca's parents head to the surface to find their son. Giulia teaches Luca about school, and the two bond over a love of learning, especially about astronomy. Alberto becomes jealous of Luca and Giulia's growing friendship. When Luca starts ignoring Alberto's advice, and tries changing their plans to going to school instead of traveling the world, he and Alberto fight. In anger, Alberto intentionally reveals his true form to Giulia. Luca feigns surprise at the transformation, and a heartbroken Alberto is driven off by Ercole. Giulia later splashes water on a panicking Luca; seeing his true identity, she sends him away for his own safety.
Luca attempts to reconcile with Alberto, and discovers that Alberto's father abruptly abandoned him long ago, making Alberto think he was a bad kid who should not have friends. Luca sets out to win the Vespa on his own, to make things right. After several mishaps, Luca takes the lead in the bicycle race, but is forced to take shelter when it starts to rain. Alberto arrives with an umbrella, but Ercole knocks it away and both boys are revealed as sea monsters. They flee Ercole, who now intends to harpoon them to collect bounty money; Giulia helps by smashing her bike into Ercole's, but she is injured. Luca and Alberto turn back to help her, finally standing up to Ercole. They are defended from Ercole and the other fisherman by Massimo, who reveals that the boys are his friends. He also points out they have crossed the finish line and won the race. Other disguised sea monsters reveal themselves, including Luca's family, and the townsfolk happily welcome them. When Ercole refuses to accept the changes, his own henchmen Ciccio and Guido throw him into the fountain, fed up with his abuse.
Luca and Alberto purchase a Vespa, but the latter sells it to buy a train ticket for Luca, allowing him to go to school in Genoa with Giulia. Luca's family, Massimo, and Alberto see Luca and Giulia off at the train station, where they all promise to stay in touch. During the credits, Luca meets Giulia's mother and attends school, showing off his sea monster appearance and later watching humans walk on the moon with Giulia on television. Massimo becomes Alberto's adoptive father, and Alberto and Luca's family enjoy interacting with the humans in Portorosso. In a post-credits scene, Ugo talks to a stray goatfish about how great his life is in the depths of the ocean.
Cast[]
Production[]
In July 2020, Pixar announced a new film titled Luca, with Enrico Casarosa directing and Andrea Warren producing.[4] The director, Enrico Casarosa, stated that the film will be inspired by his childhood in Genoa and combine elements of directors Federico Fellini and Hayao Miyazaki.[1] To prepare for the film Pixar sent several of the film's artists to the Italian Riviera for a research trip, during which they took photographs of the landscape and peoples of the area.[5]
Writing[]
In July 2020, Pixar's Soul writer Mike Jones announced that he would co-write the screenplay with Jesse Andrews.[6]
Animation[]
During the research trip Deanna Marsigliese, the film's art director, noted that they were watched by curious onlookers and chose to incorporate that into the character designs. A clay figure was sculpted of Luca in his sea monster form to assist with the character design process for the character.[5]
Release[]
Luca is scheduled to be released on June 18, 2021 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.[7]
Trivia[]
- The film is the sixith Simultaneous Released on Disney+ and international theatrical release, after Chicken Little 2, Lucked, Mulan, Inspector Gadget: Cross-iverse and Soul.
- This is the eighth Disney+ movie that was originally intended as a theatrical release, after Noelle, Artemis Fowl, Hamilton, Magic Camp, The One and Only Ivan, Mulan, and Soul.
- This is the second full-length Pixar film to not be released in theaters, but is instead to be released exclusively on Disney+ following Soul
- Thus, it is also the fifth animated film to be released straight to digital instead of having a theatrical release in the United States following the COVID-19 pandemic; the first being Warner Animation Group's Scoob!, Pixar's own Soul, Paramount Animation/Nickelodeon Movies' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (which had a theatrical release in Canada, though, and was already released on Netflix internationally as the second animated film to do so in international countries), and Sony Pictures Animation's The Mitchells vs. The Machines.
- This is Enrico Casarosa's first Pixar film. He previously directed the short La Luna.
- The fourth Disney animated film to be released on June 18th, after Tarzan (1999), The Ugly Duckling And Pachewican (both 2004) and Toy Story 3 (2010).
- Luca's full name, Luca Portorosso, is a reference to Studio Ghibli's Porco Rosso, which the film will pay homage to.[8]
- According to Enrico Casarosa, he describes the film as an "homage to Fellini and other classic Italian filmmakers, with a dash of Miyazaki in the mix too."[9]
- Pixar's 13th film (P2) to have a June release following Cars, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Brave, Monsters University, Newt, Inside Out, Finding Dory, Cars 3, Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4 and Lucked.
- Pixar's fourth film to release on the same day as a previous film with this film releasing on June 18th; 11 years apart from Toy Story 3, the first was The Good Dinosaur, which released on November 25th; 17 years apart from A Bug's Life, the second was Coco which released on November 22nd; 22 years apart from Toy Story, and the third was Toy Story 4 which released on June 21st; 6 years apart from Monsters University.
- The film will celebrate Pixar's 35th anniversary.
- This is the first Pixar film to be produced in 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio since Finding Dory
- Katrina And The Waves' "Walking On Sunshine" will be played for this movie
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLucaEmpire1 - ↑ "Luca Image: New Look At Main Characters In Pixar's Next Original Film" (in en-US). January 19, 2021. https://screenrant.com/luca-image-main-characters-pixar-movie-disney/.
- ↑ https://www.pixar.com/luca
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLucaDeadline - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Inspired: Deanna Marsigliese, The Art of the Pivot ", Inside Pixar, season 1, episode 2, Disney, 2021.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWriters - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLucaVariety - ↑ https://thedisinsider.com/2020/08/10/luca-main-character-reportedly-pays-homage-to-a-studio-ghibli-classic/
- ↑ https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/luca-pixar-mythical-coming-of-age-exclusive-image/
External links[]
- Luca at the Internet Movie Database
Production[]
Luca on Disney+Script error: No such module "WikidataCheck".
