Pixar Animation Studios is responsible for some of the most well-known animated films of the last two decades. Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, WALL-E, and Coco are just a few examples of creative storytelling. With Luca, the studio follows up on its 2020 releases Onward and Soul. Only the stacked voice ensemble surprises more than the lovely Italian Riviera setting and accompanying soundtrack.
Luca’s protagonist is a young aquatic creature who travels onto land. He takes on the form of a human boy once he is out of the sea. And he finds himself in the middle of a friendship-filled adventure with themes of acceptance, resilience, and self-discovery. Critics have questioned if the picture serves as an allegory for homosexuality, a claim dismissed by first-time filmmaker Enrico Casarosa.
In an interview with Yahoo!, Casarosa denied any connection between Luca and the 2017 film Call Me By Your Name, which follows two men (Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet) in an Italian-set romance. Luca Guadagnino, the director of that film, shares a first name with the protagonist of Pixar’s latest. Casarosa, on the other hand, claims it’s a coincidence, claiming that Luca is a “pre-pubescent narrative” about platonic friendships.
Despite the film’s European setting, many voices will sound familiar to American moviegoers. The title character is played by Jacob Tremblay, a young actor who co-starred with Brie Larson in Room. Wonder, Good Boys, and the sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, are among Tremblay’s other film roles. Speaking of Stephen King adaptations, the film’s second star, Alberto, is played by Jack Dylan Grazer of It and Shazam! fame.
There are a lot of famous personalities in the supporting cast as well. Luca’s parents are played by Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan. In a small part as Uncle Ugo, Sacha Baron Cohen appears. Furthermore, Emma Berman, a rookie, plays Luca, Alberto’s human companion, and Giulia, the third lead. Saverio Raimondo plays the film’s villain, a haughty bully who terrorizes Portorosso’s beach community.
