Pixar’s Next Feature Film is ‘Luca,’ a Coming-of-Age Story Set on the Italian Riviera

While Pixar’s upcoming feature, Soul, isn’t scheduled for release until this November, the animation studio has just announced details for their 2021 release, Luca.

From the official synopsis:

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature 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: he is a sea monster from another world just below the water’s surface.

“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,” said Enrico Casarosa, director. “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.”

While Luca definitely sounds very reminiscent of Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, from the plot, setting, and even the film’s title, we’ll have to wait until next summer to see just how Pixar handles that peach scene.

Directed by Oscar-nominee Enrico Casarosa (La Luna) and produced by Andrea Warren (Lava, Cars 3), Luca is set to open in theatres June 18, 2021