Disney and Pixar's 'Luca' takes us on summer adventure with sea monsters

ByGeorge Pennacchio OTRC logo
Thursday, June 17, 2021
'Luca': An animated summer adventure with sea monsters
The new Disney and Pixar film "Luca" is a coming-of-age animated adventure about friendship and finding your true self.

The animated experts at Disney and Pixar are back with their latest adventure. It's a movie about friendship, family... and sea monsters.

"Luca" tells the story of a kid who, against his parents' strict orders, appears one day on the shore of the Italian Riviera. He suddenly has an instant best friend and is having the time of his life, for the first time in his life. But he - and his pal - are living with a dangerous secret: They're both actually sea monsters, and sea monsters are feared creatures in the Italian village.

Jacob Tremblay lends his voice to the title role, and thinks Luca is like any other kid - pushing boundaries with their parents.

"I mean, obviously, you know, any kid disobeys their parents just a little bit. I think we can all relate to Luca, you know? He wants to explore the world. Maybe his parents are a bit too protective," he said.

VIDEO | Watch the trailer for 'Luca'

"This is going to be the best summer ever!" teases the new trailer for "Luca," released Thursday. Pixar says the film is a "coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides."

His parents are voiced by Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan.

"That's one of the messages of this movie is that kids have to find their own way," said Gaffigan, who is a father of five. "Kids are on loan, right? Like, we are the caretakers of these little humans and hopefully helping them find a path to adulthood. But it's terrifying!"

"The other side of this is, yeah, embracing yourself but also kind of treasuring what these friendships do for us," said director Enrico Casarosa.

"We like the metaphor of sea monsters and these creatures who have to hide something about themselves," said producer Andrea Warren. "That's the beauty of this is to be your authentic self. Be yourself and feel like yourself in all these different situations."

"Luca" debuts Friday on Disney+.

MORE | Pixar's Luca: Everything to know about streaming film on Disney Plus

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Pixar and this ABC station.