Disney/Pixar(LOS ANGELES) — Pixar Animation Studios announced today that its next feature film release will be called Luca, a picturesque adventure set in the Italian Riviera. 

The film will be directed by Oscar-nominated director Enrico Casarosa, and will center on the title character, a young boy living his best life in the postcard-perfect place. 

According to a press release, the animated film “is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides.” 

The release hints all isn’t as it seems, however: “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.”

Casarosa says, “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…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.”

Pixar‘s next film to hit theaters is Soul, starring the voices of Hamilton‘s Daveed Diggs and Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx. The movie was bumped from its June 19 release date to November 20 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Luca is set to open in U.S. theaters June 18, 2021. Pixar is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

By Stephen Iervolino
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