Luca (2021 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luca (2021 film) |
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Release poster
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| Directed by | Enrico Casarosa |
| Produced by | Andrea Warren |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Dan Romer |
| Cinematography |
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| Editing by |
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| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 13, 2021 (Aquarium of Genoa) June 18, 2021 (United States; Disney+) March 22, 2024 (United States; theatrical; re-release) April 5, 2024 (United Kingdom; theatrical; re-release) |
| Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $51.1 million |
Luca is a fun American animated movie from 2021. It was made by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. This fantasy film is all about adventure and the power of friendship. The director, Enrico Casarosa, also helped create the story.
The movie features the voices of talented actors like Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Emma Berman. It takes place in the 1950s on the beautiful Italian Riviera. The main character is Luca Paguro (voiced by Tremblay). He is a young sea monster who can turn into a human when he is dry.
Luca explores the town of Portorosso with his new best friends, Alberto Scorfano (voiced by Grazer) and Giulia Marcovaldo (voiced by Berman). Together, they have an amazing summer that changes their lives forever.
The idea for Luca came from director Casarosa's own childhood in Genoa, Italy. Pixar artists visited the Italian Riviera to get ideas for the movie's look. The sea monsters in the film show what it's like to feel different. They were inspired by old Italian myths. The movie's animation style was influenced by hand-drawn cartoons and Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
Luca was first shown in Italy on June 13, 2021. It was then released on Disney+ in the United States on June 18, 2021. Many critics liked the film. It was the most-watched streaming movie of 2021! Luca was even nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at big awards. A short film called Ciao Alberto continues the story.
Contents
- The Story of Luca's Summer
- Meet the Voices Behind the Characters
- How the Movie Idea Started
- Research and Inspiration for Luca
- Creating the Look of Portorosso
- Animation Style and Influences
- Writing the Story
- Choosing the Voices
- What the Movie is About: Themes and Ideas
- Music of Luca
- How Luca Was Shared with the World
- Release of Luca
- A Short Film: Ciao Alberto
- Will There Be a Luca 2?
The Story of Luca's Summer
The story of Luca takes place in the summer of the 1950s. Luca Paguro is a shy young sea monster. He looks after goatfish near the Italian town of Portorosso. His parents have told him to stay away from the surface. They worry that humans might hunt him.
One day, Luca meets Alberto Scorfano. Alberto is another sea monster boy who lives alone in an old lighthouse. Alberto shows Luca a secret: sea monsters turn into humans when they are completely dry!
Luca and Alberto's Friendship
Luca starts secretly meeting Alberto. They quickly become best friends. They dream of owning a Vespa scooter and traveling the world. When Luca's parents find out he's been going to the surface, they decide to send him away. They want him to live in the deep ocean with his uncle Ugo.
To escape this, Luca runs away with Alberto to Portorosso. In town, they meet Ercole Visconti. Ercole is the town bully and the champion of the Portorosso Cup race. This race is a triathlon with swimming, eating pasta, and biking.
New Friends and Challenges
When Ercole tries to push Luca into a fountain, a young girl named Giulia Marcovaldo steps in to help. Luca and Alberto team up with Giulia. They decide to enter the triathlon, hoping to win money for a Vespa.
Giulia lets Luca and Alberto stay at her house. She introduces them to her father, Massimo. He is a fisherman who is careful around sea monsters. Meanwhile, Luca's parents come to Portorosso looking for him.
Luca and Giulia become close because they both love learning. This makes Alberto a bit jealous. When Luca talks about wanting to go to school, Alberto gets upset. He purposefully shows his sea monster form to Giulia. Luca, scared, pretends to be shocked. Alberto feels betrayed and runs away. Ercole's gang chases him. Soon after, Giulia discovers Luca is also a sea monster. She tells him to leave for his own safety.
The Big Race and Big Reveals
Luca finds Alberto at his hideout. He tries to make up with him. Luca learns that Alberto's father left him a long time ago. Alberto doesn't want to do the triathlon anymore. But Luca promises to win the Vespa to fix their friendship.
The triathlon begins, with Luca and Giulia competing separately. Luca finishes the swimming part (wearing an old diving suit) and the pasta-eating contest without anyone finding out his secret. But during the bike race, it starts to rain. Alberto appears with an umbrella for Luca. Ercole knocks it away. Alberto transforms into a sea monster in front of everyone!
Luca then reveals his own sea monster form to save Alberto. They race towards the finish line and the ocean. Giulia crashes her bike into Ercole's to stop him. She prevents him from hurting Luca and Alberto with a harpoon. Luca and Alberto accidentally cross the finish line. But they turn back to help Giulia.
Acceptance and New Beginnings
When Ercole and the townspeople confront the boys, Massimo defends them. He says they won the race. Luca's family finds him. The townspeople begin to accept the sea monsters. Ercole, however, doesn't change. His own followers throw him into a fountain.
With their prize money, Luca and Alberto buy an old Vespa. But Alberto sells it. He uses the money to buy a train ticket for Luca. This way, Luca can go to school in the city of Genova with Giulia. Luca's family, Massimo, and Alberto say goodbye at the train station. They promise to keep in touch. Luca goes to school with Giulia and meets her mother. Massimo takes Alberto in, and Alberto becomes like a son to him.
Meet the Voices Behind the Characters
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- Jacob Tremblay voices Luca Paguro. Luca is a 13-year-old sea monster boy. He is curious about the human world. He lives on an underwater farm. His last name, Paguro, means "hermit crab" in Italian.
- Jack Dylan Grazer voices Alberto Scorfano. Alberto is a 14-year-old sea monster boy and Luca's best friend. He loves exploring the human world. He is free-spirited and fun-loving. His last name, Scorfano, means "redfish" in Italian.
- Emma Berman voices Giulia Marcovaldo. Giulia is a 13-year-old Italian girl. She feels like an outsider in Portorosso. She loves books and learning.
- Saverio Raimondo voices Ercole Visconti. Ercole is an 18-year-old bully in Portorosso. He has won the Portorosso Cup many times. He thinks everyone loves him.
- Maya Rudolph voices Daniela Paguro. She is Luca's sea monster mother. She is very protective of Luca.
- Marco Barricelli voices Massimo Marcovaldo. He is an Italian fisherman and cook. He is Giulia's father. He seems scary but has a kind heart.
- Jim Gaffigan voices Lorenzo Paguro. He is Luca's sea monster father. He is well-meaning but sometimes distracted.
- Peter Sohn and Lorenzo Crisci voice Ciccio and Guido. They are Ercole's followers.
- Marina Massironi voices Mrs. Marsigliese. She organizes the Portorosso Cup race.
- Sandy Martin voices Grandma Paguro. She is Luca's sea monster grandmother. She understands that growing up means breaking some rules.
- Sacha Baron Cohen voices Ugo. He is a sea monster that looks like an anglerfish. He is Luca's uncle and lives in the deep ocean.
Other voice actors include Giacomo Gianniotti and Gino La Monica as local fishermen. Elisa Gabrielli and Mimi Maynard voice two elderly women who are secretly sea monsters. The director, Enrico Casarosa, also voiced a fisherman.
How the Movie Idea Started
On July 30, 2020, Pixar announced they were making a new movie called Luca. They said it would be a story about growing up in Italy. Enrico Casarosa was chosen to direct it. This was Casarosa's first time directing a full-length movie. He had directed a short film before called La Luna.
Luca was mostly made by people working from their homes. This was because the Pixar studio had to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, Casarosa said it took five years to create the movie.
Casarosa explained that Luca is a very personal story for him. It was inspired by his childhood in Genoa, Italy. The character Luca is based on Casarosa himself. The character Alberto is based on his childhood best friend, Alberto Surace. Casarosa said, "My summers were spent on beaches... I met my best friend when I was 11. I was really shy and I found this troublemaker of a kid." He wanted to make a movie about these kinds of friendships that help you grow up.
He also said the movie celebrates 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. 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.
Casarosa believes the movie honors famous Italian filmmakers. It also has a touch of Hayao Miyazaki's style. Other movies like Stand by Me also inspired Luca.
Research and Inspiration for Luca
To make the film look just right, Pixar sent artists to the Italian Riviera. They took many photos of the landscapes and people there. The movie is set in the 1950s and 60s. This time period feels "timeless" to Casarosa. The music and designs are inspired by this period.
The sea monsters in the movie come from Italian myths and local folklore. These include stories about an octopus and legends of sea dragons. Casarosa said, "I always found the old sea monsters on maps really fascinating." Production designer Daniela Strijleva added, "We were really inspired by old sea maps." This influenced the look of the sea monsters' fins, scales, and tails. Casarosa also said that being a sea monster is a "metaphor for feeling different."
The name of Luca's village, Portorosso, and "Isola del mare" (meaning "Sea island") were registered by Disney. Luca's last name, Paguro, means "hermit crab" in Italian.
Creating the Look of Portorosso
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To create Portorosso, the movie's main town, Pixar artists went on a research trip to the Italian Riviera. They visited places like the Cinque Terre and took many photos. The film's art director noticed that local people watched them with curiosity. She decided to include this feeling in how the characters were designed. The island in the movie, Isola del mare, was inspired by a real Italian island called Tino.
It took a whole year to design the character of Luca. Production designer Daniela Strijleva said, "Enrico always wanted Luca to be a bit of an introvert and someone who was curious, but it took us a bit longer to figure out that Luca is a dreamer." Once they understood Luca's imaginative personality, the character felt real. They even made a clay model of sea monster Luca to help with his design.
Director Casarosa said that animating the scenes where characters change between human and sea monster form was a big challenge. They tried many different versions. He also wanted the movie to have a unique look. He explained that computers can make things look perfect and realistic. But he wanted to add "warmth, some texture, some imperfection," like a painting or a drawing. He wanted the artist's touch to be visible.
Animation Style and Influences
Mike Venturini, the animation supervisor, said that Casarosa was very inspired by the films of Hayao Miyazaki. They watched many episodes of his show Future Boy Conan. This show features a "multi-limb style" where characters move in a very broad, silly, physical way. Casarosa liked this and wanted to use similar ideas in Luca.
Besides Miyazaki, Casarosa mentioned that stop-motion movies from Aardman Animations (creators of Wallace and Gromit) and director Wes Anderson also influenced his artistic style. He likes their "sketchy and expressive style." He wanted to bring that playful feeling to Luca. He said, "I love the immersion of 3D, but I sometimes I feel it can go towards coldness. So, I wanted to bring the warmth of imperfection."
The animation team experimented with new ideas. They used poses that looked more like 2D drawings. They gave characters wider mouths with rounded corners. They also used "multi-limb motions." This is an old cartoon technique where a character running very fast might look like they have many arms or legs. Casarosa said they used this for moments of extreme action to add to the silliness.
Writing the Story
Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones wrote the screenplay for Luca. This was Andrews' first Pixar film. Jones had previously helped write Soul.
Jones mentioned that he and Andrews worked well together. They decided what message they wanted the movie to send. Andrews had already been working on the story for two years before Jones joined. Jones praised Andrews' ability to capture the voices of Luca and Alberto. He felt his role was to help build on Andrews' ideas.
Choosing the Voices
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The main voice actors were announced in early 2021. Jacob Tremblay voices Luca. Director Casarosa said working with Tremblay was "such a pleasure." Tremblay said he could relate to Luca's desire to explore the world.
Jack Dylan Grazer voices Alberto. Casarosa felt Grazer brought "a natural confidence and vulnerability" to the character. Giulia is voiced by newcomer Emma Berman. Maya Rudolph (Luca's mom, Daniela) and Jim Gaffigan (Luca's dad, Lorenzo) were able to make up some of their lines. Casarosa praised the warmth they brought to their roles.
Several Italian actors were also part of the cast. Saverio Raimondo voices the bully Ercole. Marco Barricelli, known for his "booming voice," voices Giulia's dad, Massimo.
Tremblay hoped the movie's story about friendship would remind people of good times with their friends.
What the Movie is About: Themes and Ideas
Director Enrico Casarosa said that Luca is a celebration of friendship. He called it "a love letter to the summers of our youth." The movie was inspired by his own childhood in Genoa, Italy. Luca is based on Casarosa, and Alberto is based on his best friend, Alberto Surace. The film is dedicated to Surace. Casarosa said his friend Alberto was a bit of a troublemaker, while he himself was shy. "Alberto pushed me out of my comfort zone... It's these types of deep friendships that I wanted to talk about in Luca."
Feeling Different
The sea monsters in the movie are based on old Italian myths. Casarosa explained that being a sea monster is a "metaphor for feeling different." He said, "We were also a bit of 'outsiders', so it felt right to use sea monsters to express the idea that we felt a little different." Producer Andrea Warren added that the idea of being a sea monster can mean many things. The movie explores themes of "openness, showing oneself and self-acceptance." It's about realizing that first ideas about others might be wrong. Casarosa hoped that "sea monster" could represent any time you feel different, like during your teenage years.
Different Ways to See the Story
Some viewers have seen Luca and Alberto hiding their sea monster identities as a story about people in the LGBTQ+ community. These are people who feel they need to hide their true selves to be accepted. Casarosa said this wasn't his original plan. He wanted to explore childhood friendships before romance becomes a big focus. However, he welcomed this idea, saying, "the themes of diversity, acceptance and inclusion in our movie are dear to my heart."
Others have seen the story as being about refugees or immigrants. Casarosa said this was also unintentional. But he was happy for people to connect with the movie in their own ways. "We were aware making the movie that this was a wonderful journey of owning your own identity, and coming out with it – whichever that identity is."
Later, Casarosa mentioned that the film was also intended to be a metaphor for race. He emphasized that the movie is "about being open to any difference."
Music of Luca
Dan Romer composed the music for Luca. His music was influenced by Italian music and folk-pop songs from the 1950s and 1960s. Many different instruments were used to record the music. The music was recorded following safety rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The movie also includes popular Italian songs from artists like Mina and Gianni Morandi. There are also short pieces of music from operas by famous Italian composers. The official soundtrack album was released on June 18, 2021.
Early pictures and a clay model of sea monster Luca were shown in November 2020. The first official picture from the movie was released in January 2021. An Italian magazine also featured a picture of Luca, Alberto, and Giulia on a Vespa.
Several books based on the movie came out in May 2021. Funko made Funko Pop figures of the characters. Mattel released action figures and toys. In Italy, a train company even decorated one of its trains with a Luca theme.
McDonald's offered Luca bathtub toys with their Happy Meals. The video game Disney Magic Kingdoms also had a special Luca event. At Disneyland Paris, a dining area at a restaurant was decorated with a Luca theme.
Release of Luca
Luca was first shown on June 13, 2021, at the Aquarium of Genoa in Italy. This special showing helped raise money for a children's hospital.
The movie was originally planned for U.S. theaters on June 18, 2021. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney decided to release it directly on Disney+ on that date instead. It also had a special one-week showing in Hollywood. In countries where Disney+ was not available, Luca was shown in theaters.
Later, it was announced that Luca would be released in U.S. theaters in early 2024. Luca came to theaters on March 22, 2024. It was shown with the short film For the Birds.
Luca became available to buy on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and for digital download on August 3, 2021.
A Short Film: Ciao Alberto
A short film called Ciao Alberto was released on Disney+ on November 12, 2021. It was directed by McKenna Harris. Enrico Casarosa, the director of Luca, was an executive producer. The short film is about Alberto getting used to his new life working with Massimo. It shows Alberto starting to see Massimo as a father figure.
Will There Be a Luca 2?
The actors who voiced the characters in Luca said they would be interested in making a sequel. They even joked about giving Uncle Ugo his own TV show! Director Enrico Casarosa said he would be interested in a sequel where Luca and Giulia try to get Massimo and his wife back together.
However, as of October 2022, Casarosa said there were no definite plans for a Luca sequel. He mentioned he was working on a new, original movie for Pixar.
