New 'Luca' Screenshot Features a Town Center with a Mythical Sea Monster Fountain

Pixar's 24th feature film, Luca, is gearing up for its June 18, 2021, theatrical release with an exclusive new screenshot from Empire. Taking the directing reins is Italian-born filmmaker Enrico Casarosa who has been with Pixar Animation Studios since 2002. Casarosa made his directorial debut back in 2012 with the Academy Award-nominated short film, La Luna. Longtime Pixarian Andrea Warren will take on the producer role for Luca; you may recall she produced the short-film Lava and co-produced Cars 3.

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature 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 Alberto, 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. During their fun-filled summer, the duo, who appear human on dry land, befriend a human girl along the way. 

“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, and it is those bonds that are at the heart of our story in ‘Luca,’” said Enrico Casarosa, director. “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.”