Why is everyone on TikTok talking about Pixar’s Luca?
It’s only a few days into 2024, so you wouldn’t be remiss to think that most everyone is looking ahead to new and exciting things. However, it seems some TikTok goers have instead decided to head back to 2021 to talk about one of the greatest Pixar films: Luca.
The tale of Luca follows the titular character and his friendship with Alberto. The two of them are sea monsters who live in an ocean community just outside the fishing town of Portorosso. The catch is that Portorosso both hates and fears the existence of sea monsters and wishes to exterminate them. This, however, doesn’t stop the two of them from entering the town to look for a Vespa — a scooter that they believe will give them the freedom to do whatever they like.
It’s a heartfelt movie, and one that has been argued before to have an intentionally queer message by fans and creators alike. But why, in 2024, has TikTok once more latched onto Luca from Pixar?
As reported by Polygon the reason lies with Kenna Jarris Harris, story artist of Luca and director of the companion short to the film, Ciao Alberto. Via an Instagram story, Harris shared a sequence of unofficial but cute art of Luca and Alberto, ending the sequence with a picture of the two of them kissing beneath an umbrella.
As predicted, the Instagram story was quickly taken notice of by TikTok fans of Luca and his adorable relationship with Alberto.
One TikTok user shared, “Luberto becoming canon in the year of our lord 2024 wtf,” highlighting the shots posted by Kenna Jean Haris.
Despite the hype, fans shouldn’t get too hyped about this, nor see it as confirmation of a romance between the two boys. As of now, there’s been no actual confirmation that the boys are intended to be anything but good friends. That won’t stop us from seeing the story as one big queer allegory, though.
Even so, Harris isn’t the first creative who’s worked on Luca to see the romantic vision between Alberto and Luca. In an interview with The Wrap, Luca director Enrico Casarosa revealed that the creative team behind the colorful film had actually “talked about” including a potential romance between the two main characters.
“We were really focusing on friendship and so pre-romance,” Casarosa tells The Wrap. “But it is a kind of love, right? There’s a lot of hugging, and it’s physical, and my experience as a straight man certainly wasn’t that. The things we did talk a lot about is what is the metaphor here for being a sea monster, for being different? And some people seem to get mad that I’m not saying yes or no, but I feel like, well, this is a movie about being open to any difference.”
Pixar’s Luca is available to watch on Disney+.
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