You'll Get A Taste Of Vintage Italy In Pixar's Luca

Whether you’re starved for travel like me, or you just want a quick virtual take a trip overseas, Pixar’s Luca wants to give you a taste of the Italian seaside.

“This journey is about seeing more of the world,” according to director Enrico Casarosa. Not only does Luca take you to Portorosso, a fictional village in the Italian Riviera, but it also takes you back in time to the golden age of cinema. “When you make something very specific and timely, it can be timeless.”

Disney and Pixar’s “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about a boy sharing summer adventures with a newfound best friend. But their fun is threatened by a secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface. Directed by Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”) and produced by Andrea Warren (“Lava,” “Cars 3”), “Luca” opens in U.S. theaters June 18, 2021. © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

You’ll see nods to the time period with details such as film posters for La Strada and Roman Holiday or vintage-styled Vespas. “There’s a little bit of a timelessness and a nostalgia to it,” continues Casarosa. “Those were the things that we really chased as far as the period.”

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s “Luca” is a coming-of-age story about a boy and his newfound best friend experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. But their fun is threatened by a secret: they are sea monsters from another world. “Luca” is directed by Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”) and produced by Andrea Warren (“Lava,” “Cars 3”). © 2020 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Of course you can’t place a movie in the Italian Riviera without paying attention to the food. “We wanted as much focaccia in this movie as possible. Focaccia is our bread,” explains Casarosa, who is originally from Genoa, Italy. “We are one of the few people that dunk it in their coffee, by the way. I could not fit in a dunk in the coffee in the movie, but I wanted to.” So yes, you’ll see lots of bread—just not dunked in coffee—along with plenty of pasta and gelato. This is a movie you won’t want to watch while hungry!

Get ready for your own trip to Portorosso when Luca begins streaming on Disney+ on June 18, 2021.

About Luca

This summer, you’re invited to Portorosso. Watch the new trailer for Disney and Pixar’s Luca and see the film June 18 on Disney+.
Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film “Luca” 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: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface. Directed by Academy Award® nominee Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”) and produced by Andrea Warren (“Lava,” “Cars 3”), “Luca” releases June 18 on Disney+.