Luca, Pixar’s Next Italian Coming-of-Age Movie, Announced With 2021 Release Date

Pixar has announced its next movie — Luca — a coming-of-age story set in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera, about a young boy who enjoys an unforgettable summer with his newfound best friend as they share gelato, pasta, and scooter rides. But a secret threatens to spoil the fun: he is a sea monster from another world just below the water's surface. Directed by Oscar nominee Enrico Casarosa (La Luna) and produced by Andrea Warren (Lava, Cars 3), Luca is slated to release June 18, 2021.

“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,” Casarosa said in a mailed statement. “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.”

Casarosa has been at Pixar since 2002, having worked as a storyboard artist on the likes of Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), and Up (2009), before making his directorial debut with the short film La Luna (2011), which was released with Brave (2012) in theatres, as Pixar does for its short films. Since then, Casarosa has been part of the senior creative team for Coco (2017) and Toy Story 4 (2019), and served as the head of story for The Good Dinosaur (2015) and Incredibles 2 (2018).

For Pixar, Luca continues a move towards more original films after several years of a “one for you, one for me” policy, wherein Pixar alternated between a franchise entry and an original one. There was Onward with the voices of Chris Pratt and Tom Holland back in March. Next up is Soul with Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, slated for November. And then there's this.

Luca will open June 18, 2021 in cinemas worldwide.

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