This is the time of year when Disney and Pixar would announce their latest upcoming productions at conventions like Comic-Con or D23. But coronavirus wiped out the summer convention schedule, along with pretty much anything else that involves large gatherings of people indoors. Instead, Pixar made the announcement online: They have a new animated feature in the works, that’s due in theaters (I know, I know) next summer.

The film is called Luca, and it’s directed by Enrico Casarosa, who previously made Pixar’s short film “La Luna.” Here’s the plot description:

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, 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.

Kind of sounds like Call Me By Your Name crossed with The Shape of Water. Casarosa also provided this statement on the project in Disney’s official press release:

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.’

Here’s Casarosa’s “La Luna.” (It might look familiar if you saw Brave, it played with that film in theaters.):

Luca is scheduled to open in theaters on June 18, 2021. Pixar also has one more movie, Pete Docter’s Soul, that is theoretically scheduled to open in theaters later this fall.

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