Luca (2021 film)
A 2021 Pixar film about a sea monster boy's summer adventure.
Luca is a 2021 American animated fantasy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Enrico Casarosa and written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones from a story developed by Casarosa, Andrews, and Simon Stephenson, the film is set on the Italian Riviera in the 1950s and centers on Luca Paguro, a young sea monster boy with the ability to assume human form while on land, who explores the town of Portorosso with his new best friends, experiencing a life-changing summer adventure. The film draws inspiration from Casarosa's childhood in Genoa, Italy, and incorporates Italian culture, folklore, and cinematic influences.
- Release year
- 2021
- Director
- Enrico Casarosa
- Production company
- Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures
- Genre
- Animated fantasy comedy
- Setting
- Italian Riviera, 1950s
- Main voice cast
- Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, Jim Gaffigan
- Composer
- Dan Romer
Lore & Background
Luca Paguro is a timid sea monster child who herds goatfish off the coast of Portorosso. He meets Alberto Scorfano, a fellow sea monster living alone in an abandoned lighthouse, who shows him that sea monsters transform into humans when dry. Against his parents' orders, Luca sneaks out to explore the surface, and the two boys befriend Giulia Marcovaldo, a young girl, and enter the Portorosso Cup triathlon to win money for a Vespa. The film explores themes of friendship, identity, and acceptance, with sea monsters serving as a metaphor for feeling different.
Reader's Guide
Luca premiered at the Aquarium of Genoa on June 13, 2021, and was released direct-to-streaming on Disney+ in the United States on June 18, 2021. It received positive reviews from critics and was the most-viewed streaming film of 2021, with over 10.6 billion minutes watched. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 79th Golden Globe Awards and the 94th Academy Awards. A short film, Ciao Alberto, was released on Disney+ on November 12, 2021. The film's design and animation were inspired by hand-drawn and stop motion works and Hayao Miyazaki's style, and Casarosa described it as paying homage to Federico Fellini and other classic Italian filmmakers.
Did You Know?
- The film was developed over five years, with production done remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Several Pixar artists were sent to the Italian Riviera to research Italian culture and environment for the setting of Portorosso.
- The sea monsters were loosely based on old Italian regional myths and folklore.
- The film was the most-viewed streaming film of 2021, with over 10.6 billion minutes watched.
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