Pixar's Luca Reveals New Image

Later this year, Pixar will take a visit to the Italian Riviera with Luca, a new film from director Enrico Casarosa, which will give animators a chance to do for Italy what Ratatouille did for Paris. Today, the studio released a new promotional still from the movie, which featured a look at three of the main characters and one of the scenic backdrops from the film, on the cover of Il Venerdì di Repubblica, an Italian magazine that came to the attention of the American entertainment press via a tweet from Discussing FIlm. So far, any news the magazine might have on the movie hasn't been translated and ported over yet.

According to director Casarosa, Luca will blend elements of his life growing up in Genoa with The Little Mermaid and the works of legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. The film tells the story of a young boy and his friend who appear completely human and normal when they're out of the water, but they are really mysterious sea creatures. Their lives begin to change when they befriend a young girl on the surface.

You can see the new image below.

"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," Casarosa said in a statement when the film was first announced last year. "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."

For those hoping to see some footage from Luca, a trailer hasn't been released online just yet, but Casarosa teased back in January via Twitter that they could expect something to be coming down the pineline in what, back then, he characterized as "in the next few weeks." That likely means this image is the start of the next wave of a promotional push for the film, althuogh it's hard to say since even the voice cast for Luca has yet to be announced.

What do you think of the new photo from Luca? Are you looking forward to checking out the film later this year? Let us know in the comments!

Luca is set to hit theaters on June 18th.