One big surprise from Disney’s most recent release date shuffle was that the new Pixar film, the adorable-looking Luca, would be heading to Disney+ instead of receiving any theatrical release. It’s not a particularly controversial-looking film, as, in contrast to the far-more-serious Soul, Luca is about two sea monsters/human kids having a great summertime on the Riviera, which the new trailer that the Mouse dropped earlier on Wednesday shows. But it is certainly strange that a movie like Cruella — a cheap-ish pic about a C-tier Disney character that no one seems to be excited about — would be going day-and-date paid digital and theatrical instead of a brand-new Pixar film.
One has to wonder why that is: It can’t just be because Disney wants to draw subscriptions to their platform, because that’s what they have The Mandalorian and Marvel for, and it can’t be because it was cheap enough to write off, given that it’s a Pixar movie, and the tech on display there costs a lot. It is, also, unsurprising that the studio will be making their grand return to cinemas with Lightyear, a Toy Story spin-off, which presumably was and will never be intended for a streaming debut. At best, it really is that they want original Pixar films to be seen by as wide of an audience as possible, at worst, well, they’re finally making Pixar into the sequel-oriented studio that they’ve always dreamed of. Only time will tell.
Anyway, enough of that bullshit: You’re here for the trailer, and no matter where Luca‘s shown, it still looks like it’ll be a great watch.
Take a look:
Here’s a synopsis:
“Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar’s original feature film ‘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.”
Luca arrives on Disney+ on June 18, at no additional charge to subscribers.