#Pixar’s Luca Was Inspired by One of Stephen King’s Most Iconic Stories

Most pieces of fiction have similar ideas to other works. Aspects such as themes, or moods could inspire future stories. Luca, the soon to be released cartoon from the minds at Disney and Pixar drew inspiration from an unlikely source. The creators revealed the project they have been working on was inspired by one of Stephen King’s stories.

Directing duties were taken by Enrico Casarosa. Luca has its setting on the Italian Riviera. The story is about the adventures of two boys: the titular Luca (voiced by Room and Wonder actor Jacob Treblay) and Alberto (voiced by It and Shazam star Jack Dylan Grazer) as they spend their summer exploring the beautiful seaside town of the film. A fun activity for them includes eating a hefty amount of gelato. Unknown to the local residents, the duo are actually sea monsters who can take the form of humans.
RELATED: New Luca Trailer Brings Pixar’s Teenage Sea Monsters to Disney+ This June
Trailers show when they are exposed to water, their true forms can be realized. Pixar has already worked with toys, cars, robots and humans. Now, they will delve deep, pun intended, to look at living beings from the water. They will have to keep their secret while visiting the countryside. 

Luca, which will arrive later this month exclusively for Disney+, is expected to bring one of the more unique stories from the iconic and beloved animation studios. It will also probably be at the least one of the most interesting movies to come out in the summer of 2021. Unlike many other Disney projects, this one seems to be on a much smaller scale. There does not appear to be any events that could spell the end of the world.

There are no supervillains bent on gaining dominion over the human race. Just two friends who have fun while trying to keep a secret about who they truly are. Even with supernatural elements, the film appears to be quite smaller in scope. Luca‘s tone, aesthetic, and Italian setting have caused some to compare the movie to 2017’s Call Me By Your Name. However, the animated project had a more important factor come from a different coming of age story from the one and only Stephen King.

During a press event for the Disney and Pixar movie, creative voices revealed that a major influence was from the classic 1986 film Stand By Me. That particular piece of fiction, which was directed by Rob Reiner and based on the Stephen King novella The Body, also stars a group of young friends. Unlike many other King-based properties, this one is not inspired by a novel. The Body is relatively short compared to his other pieces of fiction. That does nothing to hinder its quality.

In that particular short story, four boys in the late 1950s who go in search of the body of a missing person. In addition to being considered one of the most loved coming of age movies, it is also regarded as one of the best King adaptations. Considering the wealth of releases based on the author’s work, that is a high accomplishment. His film adaptations vary in quality, yet a number of them are considered among the best in their respective genres. The one in the mid 1980s stands, forgive me, as a remarkable piece of storytelling.

According to the forces behind the Disney project, it was the specific focus on friendship from the 1986 film that helped shape Luca. While the upcoming movie keeps getting Call Me By Your Name comparisons, Luca does not feature a love story. Instead, the primary idea of the story is about the powerful, early friendships that play a role in people’s lives. Luca’s characters are at an age where they are not concerned with romance or love. It is for the purpose of friendship why the animated feature is far more similar to Stand By Me than to Call Me By Your Name. This news originated at Looper.

Topics: Luca, Stand By Me