Disney‘s dedication to showing a diverse, inclusive world is a real thing; just look at Marvel and the rest of their casting. And slowly, but surely, others under the main umbrella are getting with that program. One of them is Pixar Animation Studios, which introduced their first Black lead in “Soul” late last year, and before that had “Coco” (2017) set in the world of Dias De Los Muertos in Mexican traditions. They still have some work to do — they are an animation studio after all and aren’t as quick and nimble — but their next effort in this endeavor is “Luca.”
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Directed by Academy Award nominee Enrico Casarosa (who directed the celebrated Pixar short “La Luna”) and produced by Andrea Warren (“Lava,” “Cars 3”), “Luca” is set in the Italian riviera and will presumably show a European, and distinctly different Pixar flavor then we’re normally used to. The film centers on an unlikely but strong friendship between a human being and a sea monster disguised as a human. Up until now, none of the voice cast was revealed. But as the trailer has now dropped, we’ve learned Luca Portorosso, the titular boy, is voiced by Jacob Tremblay, and his best friend Alberto, an independent, free-spirited teenage sea monster with unbridled enthusiasm for the human world, is voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer. Maya Rudolph, Emma Berman, and Jim Gaffigan, are also part of the voice cast (Ok, so maybe the voice-cast isn’t very diverse ?).
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Here’s the official synopsis:
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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.
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“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. 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,’” Casarosa said in a statement when the film was first announced. “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.”
“Luca” opens theatrically on June 18, 2021, fingers crossed on COVID-19 delays. Watch the first trailer below.