We know what you’re thinking, “Didn’t people already argue this?” And the answer is yes. But after watching the film, gay Disney/Pixar fans are CONVINCED Luca is a gay film.
Disney and Pixar released Luca on Disney+ this past week. And for fans who saw the film, the children’s animated movie was a beautiful display of life and friendship. But, many fans also saw something more. Keep in mind, however, that Luca’s own director, Enrico Casarosa, said in April that the film was not intended to be a gay-themed movie.
“I was really keen to talk about a friendship before girlfriends and boyfriends come in to complicate things,” he told Polygon during a press day.
Cararosa explained that the film is meant to depict friendship in a “pre-puberty world,” and is thus meant to completely bypass romance in any form.
Luca centers around two young sea creatures named Luca and Alberto. The two aquatic beings turn into humans when out of water. They then do so and decide to visit an Italian coastal town. There, they mean a young girl named Giulia who shows them around town. But, they soon find out that Giulia is a fisherman’s daughter.
Casarosa went on to explain that he created and named the character of Alberto after a real-life friend of his. Both the character and his real-life friend are bigger-than-life personalities.
“The type of friendship that is gonna push you into trouble,” says Casarosa. “Push you into change, push you into finding yourself.”
So, in the director’s mind. This is a film about friendship. But could that be a disguise to keep conservative censorship away? Or, as with many artistic mediums, has fan interpretation brought in a new factor to the movie?
Social media platforms, and news sites like Buzzfeed and Vanity Fair, are currently full of tweets and Facebook posts about how the film could be interpreted with a queer context. The subtleties of close male friendship in a “pre-puberty world” created meaning for many LGBTQ viewers.
There’s a reason this movie was released during #Pride month. Please see this movie. You NEED to see this movie. It’s amazing. Did I mention I cried?
— Eric Rosswood (@LGBT_Activist) June 21, 2021
https://twitter.com/its_she_they/status/1406081794164674562?s=20
the gay agenda always wins #luca was so good pic.twitter.com/8qv19xQkzi
— maurice (@duamaximoff) June 20, 2021
gays talking about luca pic.twitter.com/68eTZFEa1N
— victoria (@bbybonnet) June 20, 2021
https://twitter.com/jblikesmovies/status/1406053986826850311
https://twitter.com/mysunflouwer/status/1406179597431951363
#Luca is one of the most beautiful queer-coded films i’ve ever seen. it perfectly captures the feeling of the best friend you’re kinda in love with as a young gay kid, the confusion, the fear of being different & hiding.. despite it using sea monster metaphors to do it. 1000/10!! pic.twitter.com/KDUxKUlNju
— kari⁷ (@blysmanors) June 18, 2021
i KNOW #Luca isn’t an explicitly gay movie. i know that.
but a movie about two adolescent boys growing up with a secret about their identity in a conservative town that persecutes people for that very secret?
Pixar knows what they did there 😌 pic.twitter.com/dFq3nsJ8cZ
— aaron 🌈 (@aaronstruths) June 18, 2021
I feel like Luca will make a lasting impression on the LGBTQ community because even though the characters weren’t stated gay it clearly draws on many experiences that gays face in adolescence and even after speaking as a 19-year-old out guy I could relate to it #Luca #PixarLuca pic.twitter.com/sHSbJRVJ4x
— young_nova (@young_nova88) June 18, 2021
they deserve the best pride month #Luca pic.twitter.com/QxVeCUgedz
— link 🌻 (@lesbian_pirates) June 20, 2021
watching luca and giulia saying all three of them "dress weird" when they collectively look like a gay friend group in 2021……………. ok pic.twitter.com/fjuwrWJP6Q
— jerry (@skyevgc) June 20, 2021
https://twitter.com/ghcstnap/status/1406306417330507776
https://twitter.com/The3Wynds/status/1405988938569846784
Hi, the characters in Luca are more queer than any of the other 97 first openly gay characters in the Disney/Pixar canon, and if you don’t think so then don’t talk to me or my mermaid son or his mermaid lover ever again, happy PRIDE. Go watch Calamari by Your Name rn 🏳️🌈 #luca pic.twitter.com/XnztuICqb4
— A24 Presents: Jarrett Poore (@JarrettPoore) June 19, 2021
What about you viewers? Have you seen Luca? Did you think the film was queer-coded or outright gay? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below.
Source: Polygon, Buzzfeed, Vanity Fair,
Agreed I left feeling it was a gay movie as well. Why the felt the need to hide it really sucks it could have been a great movie if they mentioned they were gay.
I’ve seen it twice with 3 friends of mine & we all deemed it a gay allegory. Definitely gay.