Pixar’s new movie Luca looks like the Italian Riviera vacation we all need – CNET [CNET]

Pixar’s next feature film will be called Luca, the Disney-owned animation studio revealed Thursday. The movie is scheduled to hit US theaters on June 18, 2021. 

“Our all-new film will introduce a boy named Luca as he experiences an unforgettable summer in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera,” Pixar said in a tweet. The unforgettable part apparently involves a sea monster.

It will be directed by Enrico Casarosa, who was nominated for an Oscar for short film La Luna, and produced by Andrea Warren. 

“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,” Casarosa said in a statement. “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.”

The Luca announcement follows Pixar’s decision to push back Soul, the studio’s musical journey from New York City to “cosmic realms.” Soul was scheduled for release on June 19 but has since been delayed until Nov. 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic.