POTD: See The Real-Life 'Luca' Locations That Inspired Pixar's Summer Adventure
Pixar's Luca debuted on Disney+ last month, and immediately it's clear that this movie would have been an undeniable pleasure to experience on the biggest screen possible. The vibrant scenery and lush landscapes are mesmerizing from the comfort of our own homes, so we can only imagine how incredible they must look in theaters. Even though that experience is a rare one, Pixar has given us a decent consolation prize by revealing the real locations and scenery that inspired the design of Portorosso.
Real Life Luca Locations
Pixar Animation shared these reference photos from the Italian Riviera showing off some of the locations that inspired the setting of Portorosso. As you can see, this beautiful cavern actually existed seaside. The real life photo isn't quite as detailed as Pixar's rendition, but that's due to Pixar's efforts to create imagery that is a mix of photorealistic and beautiful. Even so, if you were to remove the cartoonish characters of Luca and Alberto, you'd probably have a hard pinpointing this as an animated setting.
The same can be said for the images from the town square of Portorosso. If it wasn't for some of the odd angles of the green shutters and other building details, these settings would be indiscernible from real locations. The textures of the various pieces of these buildings make it so that they don't even feel animated. The same can be said for the greenery that accentuates the cliffsides.
Finally, it's interesting to see the comparison of this final location with the animated representation in the movie. You can see how the geography of certain structures has been modified to cater to how the story unfolds. If the rock formations on the coast were in the same place, it would make the end of the second act more difficult to construct. In fact, the Pixar version of this area almost looks like a diorama version of the real thing, but it doesn't lose any of the beauty.
If you haven't seen Pixar's Luca yet, it's streaming on Disney+ right now.