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Luca 2021

Movie · 95 min · English · June 13, 2021

Animated Coming-of-age comedy Teen comedy

Directed by Enrico CasarosaWritten by Jesse Andrews, Mike Jones

Starring Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph

A 2021 American animated fantasy comedy film, Luca is directed by Enrico Casarosa and written by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones, with a story developed by Casarosa, Andrews, and Simon Stephenson. The production was handled by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, featuring voice performances from Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli, and Jim Gaffigan. Set on the Italian Riviera in the 1950s, the story follows Luca Paguro (Tremblay), a young sea monster boy who can transform into human form when on land. He spends time exploring Portorosso with his new friends, Alberto Scorfano (Grazer) and Giulia Marcovaldo (Berman), during an unforgettable summer experience.

The film is influenced by Casarosa’s early life in Genoa, Italy. Pixar artists visited the Italian Riviera to collect cultural and environmental details for Portorosso, the main location. The sea monsters represent a metaphor for feeling different and are inspired by regional Italian folklore. The visual style draws influence from hand-drawn animation and stop motion, similar to Hayao Miyazaki’s approach. Casarosa described it as a film paying tribute to classic Italian directors like Federico Fellini, blending in elements from Miyazaki's work. Development took five years, with production managed remotely during the 19 pandemic. Dan Romer composed the musical score.

Luca made its debut at the Aquarium of Genoa on June 13, 2021, followed by a direct-to-streaming release on Disney+ in the United States on June 18, 2021. It was also shown in theaters in regions without the streaming service, including a one-week run at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre from June 18 to 24, 2021. The film was theatrically released in the U.S. on March 22, 2024.

The movie garnered favorable reviews and became the most-watched streaming film of 2021, accumulating over 10.6 billion minutes viewed. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 79th Golden Globe Awards and the 94th Academy Awards. A short film titled Ciao Alberto was released on Disney+ on November 12, 2021.