Sometimes a new film appears and immediately reminds fans of something else they love — even if the two stories were never meant to be connected. This happened when Disney and Pixar introduced Luca. Many viewers couldn’t help but notice echoes of Call Me by Your Name, a film by Luca Guadagnino that feels worlds apart in tone and audience.
At first glance, the comparison seems unexpected. Luca is a family-friendly animated film, while Call Me by Your Name is an intimate coming-of-age love story. And yet, for many fans, the similarities were hard to ignore.
Luca follows a young boy who spends a life-changing summer with his new best friend, Alberto Scorfano, in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera. They ride around on scooters, eat gelato, and linger on rooftops under the night sky. For fans of Call Me by Your Name, this setup feels instantly familiar. Elio and Oliver’s summer unfolds in a similarly idyllic Italian setting, shaped by long days and a growing emotional bond against a sunlit landscape.
Of course, the stories ultimately diverge. There is no romantic relationship between Luca and Alberto. In fact, the two boys are sea monsters who turn human only when they step onto land. Some viewers have compared the film more closely to stories like The Little Mermaid or The Shape of Water. Still, that didn’t stop people online from jokingly calling Luca “Disney’s version of Call Me by Your Name.”
One possible explanation for the shared feeling lies in the background of Luca’s director, Enrico Casarosa. Like Guadagnino, Casarosa is Italian, and he drew heavily on personal memories when shaping his debut feature. In interviews, he has described Luca as a story rooted in friendship and inspired by his own childhood experiences — including a real-life friend named Alberto.
“I was sheltered, shy, timid, and he was more of a go-getter, no family around, so he had complete freedom,” Casarosa explained. “It definitely got me out of my comfort zone to start testing the waters and being a little braver. I think so many of us have these friendships that are right smack in the middle of when we’re just leaving the confines of the family, that really help define our identity. What are you? What are you not?”
Casarosa has also spoken about how deeply personal the project is for him:
“This is a deeply personal story for me, not only because it’s set on the Italian Riviera where I grew up, but because at the core of this film is a celebration of friendship. Childhood friendships often set the course of who we want to become. It is those bonds that are at the heart of our story in ‘Luca.’ So in addition to the beauty and charm of the Italian seaside, our film will feature an unforgettable summer adventure that will fundamentally change Luca.”
That emphasis on friendship resonated with Jacob Tremblay, who voices Luca. He described Luca and Alberto’s relationship as something that grows slowly and naturally:
“They start off as strangers and Luca is almost scared of Alberto at the beginning, but they learn a lot about each other,” he said. “They learn how to improve upon themselves, whether it’s being braver or being a better friend.”
While the films tell very different stories, certain visual and atmospheric elements naturally invite comparison — especially for viewers familiar with both.
Image comparison: Pixar / Disney (composite image via @henraidepp)
Social media reaction: Twitter (@DLthings), quoting IndieWire