The announcement of a new Pixar movie almost always fascinates fans of the beloved animation studio. Now, four months after the premiere of the Oscar-winning Soul, and ahead of the arrival of its latest short 22 vs Earth on Friday, Pixar has released the official trailer for its latest feature film. Landing exclusively on Disney Plus this summer, Luca is a coming-of-age story about the main character who, along with his new friend Alberto, just wants to fit in and be normal. What makes Luca and his best friend different from those who live in the fictional Italian seaside town of Portorosso? Well these are sea monsters that can impersonate humans. Check out the official trailer for Luca below:
Is this the beginning of Pixar movies released exclusively on Disney Plus?
In short, no. Pixar fans may have begun to worry that the studio's films may never receive a theatrical release again, given that Soul was also released on Disney's streaming platform. However, don't expect this to become the norm for Pixar feature films. While Soul was released on Disney Plus in December 2020, it's also hit theaters in countries where the streamer isn't available yet. This means that Disney and Pixar will continue to release the latter's films on the big screen in the future. Following Luca's release, Pixar's next two movies, Turning Red and Lightyear, will hit theaters around the world, provided the pandemic has subsided enough for next year. The reason for Luca's Disney Plus launch is due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While some countries have started or continue to roll out their Covid-19 vaccination programmes, some theater chains have yet to reopen and likely won't until the vast majority of a country's population is vaccinated against the disease. Rather than push back the release date for Luca, an issue Disney has had to deal with on its other upcoming releases, Pixar will release it on Disney Plus. It will also be available at no additional cost to Disney Plus subscribers, so viewers won't have to pay for the privilege of watching on the day it's released. Starring Jacob Tremblay (Doctor Sleep), Jack Dylan Grazer (Shazam!), Emma Berman (This Is Us) and Maya Rudolph (Grown Ups), Luca will hit Disney Plus and select theaters on June 18, 2021.