Walt Disney Studios has announced details on an upcoming Pixar film titled Luca. “Directed by Enrico Casarosa & produced by Andrea Warren, the film will introduce a boy named Luca as he experiences an unforgettable summer in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera. Luca opens in theaters summer 2021.”

In a press release, the studio synopsized the plot: “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.”

First-time feature film director Enrico Casarosa said, “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. 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 is an Academy Award nominee for his animated short La Luna. Warren was a producer for the short Lava and the film Cars 3.

Luca is scheduled for a June 18, 2021 release.