On Friday, Pixar dazzled crowds at this year’s Annecy Animation Festival in France with exclusive news about the studio’s upcoming slate of animated features. The show began with another look at Elio, the alien invasion comedy from directors Adrian Molina, Domee Shi, and Madeline Sharafian. Elio opens exclusively in theaters on June 20, bringing Pixar’s signature brand of imaginative worlds, memorable characters, and heart to the summer stage. Disney/Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter commanded the presentation, which included a new look at Toy Story 5 and the unveiling of Gatto, an upcoming animated feature from Luca director Enrico Casarosa and producer Andrea Warren.
Casarosa returns to Italy for Gatto, and the story unfolds in Venice. Variety provides the following description for Gatto: “After years of maneuvering the seaside, an extraordinary city, a black cat named Nero begins questioning whether he’s lived the right life. A partial music-lover —at least, his tail is— and non-swimming feline who is indebted to a local feline mob boss, Nero, finds himself in a quandary and is forced to forge a truly unexpected friendship with Maya, a street artist who adopts him against his will.”
In 2021, Pixar released Luca on Disney+ instead of a theatrical debut. The studio’s decision caused a stir among the film’s creators and crew, with fans joining the chorus of upset voices. Despite Luca‘s move to streaming, the film performed exceptionally well, topping the Nielsen weekly streaming Top 10 and having a second-place overall streaming debut behind Netflix’s Manifest. Many of the film’s creators looked forward to seeing their work and names on the silver screen, but the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans. The film did play for one week at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre, but that was hardly the widespread venue creators had hoped for.
Still, Luca received positive reviews from critics and fans, earning a 91% Fresh score on the Tomatometer and an 84% Fresh score on the Popcornmeter (Audience Score). Luca is one of Pixar’s most beloved animated films for its beautiful story locale, endearing characters, progressive relationship dynamics, and breathtaking animation. When Enrico Casarosa returns to the Pixar stage for Gatto, it will truly be an event for the hallowed studio.
