At France’s Annecy Animation Festival, Pete Docter, Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios, announced a new original film set in Italy. The film comes from the filmmaking team that brought Luca to the world. Director Enrico Casarosa and producer Andrea Warren will once again head to Casarosa’s home country.
Called Gatto, the film follows a black cat named Nero who, after living in the country, has decided to give Venice a shot. There, Nero questions whether he has lived the right life. Nero is a partial music lover, at least his tail is. He is also, unsurprisingly, a non-swimming feline who happens to be indebted to a local feline mob boss. Nero finds himself in a quandary and is forced to forge an unexpected friendship with a street artist who adopts him against his will, named Maya.
Nero and Maya form an odd couple that could ultimately finally lead Nero to find his purpose. That is, unless the mysterious and dark side of Venice gets the better of him before this can happen.
The announcement was met with enthusiasm by those in attendance at Annecy. Docter also shared animation tests that showcase a new, unique hand-painted look, a first for Pixar. The film will have rich color in Venetian settings and blend 2D hand-painted textures with cutting-edge CG animation.
Gatto will be arriving in theaters in 2027. Casarosa previously directed Luca (2022) along with the short film Boy on the Moon (2012). He also worked as a story artist on Cars, Ratatouille, Up, Cars 2, and Coco, along with head of story on The Good Dinosaur. He joined Pixar Animation Studios in 2002.
What do you think of Gatto? Are you excited about this film? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
