The Cast of Disney-Pixar’s ‘Luca‘ Share Their Excitement for the Upcoming Movie. The 24th animated feature film from Disney and Pixar is set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, “Luca” 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: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.

Related: New Trailer for Pixar’s Luca coming to Disney+ this June!

We recently attended the Luca virtual press junket and wanted to share the cast and crew’s excitement for this new summertime tale from Disney-Pixar! Director Enrico Casarosa kicked off the event by sharing the inspiration behind the film’s story which comes from his own childhood memories, minus the sea monsters.

Enrico shared, “I was born in Genoa, which is this poor town right on the riviera. And I was a shy kid, a little bit sheltered by my family. And when I met my best friend at 11, kind of my world opened up. He was a bit of a troublemaker; he didn’t have a whole lot of supervision.” he continued, “And so, in those special kind of summers when you’re growing up and kind of finding yourself, I was kind of following him and getting dragged into, uh, troubles. And-and it really made me really think about how much we, um, find ourselves with our friendships, or how much friendships help us find a bit who we wanna be.“

Related: Check out the New Trailer for Disney-Pixar’s ‘Luca’ Coming this Summer

Leading cast members Jacob Tremblay (Luca), Jack Dylan Grazer (Alberto), Emma Berman (Guilia), Maya Rudolph (Daniela), and Jim Gaffigan (Lorenzo) shared insight into their leading characters during the event, telling the press:

Jacob Tremblay (Luca): “[Luca’s] a bit more of a-a timid kid. He wants to-he really wants to be able to explore the-the human world, but his parents have a lot of restrictions for him. But then he meets his great friend Alberto, who helps him kind of step out of his comfort zone.“

Jack Dylan Grazer (Alberto): “Alberto definitely has no restrictions. He’s so eager, and he’s so yearning to explore and fulfill all these-these fantasies and curiosities that he has. I think that he’s a huge part in inspiring Luca.“

Emma Berman (Guilia): “[Guilia’s] a very strong character. She’s determined, and she’s hardworking and genuine, and intense. But she’s also awkward, and quirky, and goofy. And I had a really fun time playing her because I relate to her in a lot of ways. That we’re both passionate about what we do, and we’re also very excited and joyful people.“

Maya Rudolph (Daniela, Luca’s Mom): “[Daniela’s] a very serious mom. She’s not messing around, and that, to me, instantly equals love. That protection, that strong discipline is love and wanting to raise her family right. I think deep
down, she knows her son is probably going to explore. But she’s just trying to protect him because it’s the scariest thing in the world to let your babies run out in the world and explore. And even though you know they need to, it’s terrifying, you know?“

Jim Gaffigan (Lorenzo, Luca’s Dad): “I think Lorenzo is well-intended but definitely distracted. And I think that in most parenting partnerships, it’s a negotiation on how to raise a child. So, I kinda played Lorenzo well-intended as a parent. I feel Lorenzo might be distracted, but he’s not disinterested. The fun of playing Lorenzo is navigating the partnership with his wife in raising Luca and helping him find the right path.“

Related: Pixar’s Luca heading to Disney+ for free

We were lucky enough to ask Jacob, Jack, and Emma a question during the Q+A segment of the event. Our writer Kaitlyn Hogancamp was able to ask the cast: “Luca features many themes such as family, friendship, acceptance, bravery, and discovery. What aspect or lessons from your character’s journey do you hope to take with you in life and in your careers?”

Jacob (Luca): “I think we all can learn a lot from this movie, but for me, [it’s] that Silencio Bruno part. It’s a good way of using your words to silence your anxiety about certain things, and like I said earlier, you really need to do that for acting a lot. I really hope that [it] can help me in the future.“

Jack (Alberto): “I think the overarching message in this film is being comfortable in your skin and not dressing the part for anybody but yourself, and just being at peace with your authentic self. Not having to hide, and-or be ashamed of who you truly were born to be. Born to shine as and also finding the right friend who can lift you up and help you evolve in that way.“

Emma (Guilia): “I mean, [there are] so many incredible messages that this movie tells and shares, but I think one thing that we can all learn from Giulia is how she just keeps trying. She joins the Portorosso Cup every single year, and she doesn’t win, she just keeps pushing, and for me, that relates [to] keep auditioning for acting. Don’t get a job, keep auditioning. Don’t get that job. Keep auditioning. And I think that we can all take that into our personal lives no matter how old we are or what our careers are.“

Related: New Luca Toys Revealed From Mattel

Check out the trailer for Disney-Pixar’s ‘Luca‘ in the video below:

Related: New Pixar Luca Happy Meal Toys At McDonald’s!

Be sure to check back here at Chip and co. for our review, updates, and all things Disney+!

*statements and quotes may have been adjusted for clarity and/or readability

Featured Photo Credit: Disney-Pixar