Luca director Enrico Casarosa is “really honoured” that the Disney film has resonated with the LGBT+ community and others who feel like “outsiders”.
The fantastical coming-of-age film follows the adventures of Luca, a young aquatic creature who changes into a human when he steps onto dry land. He forms a close friendship with fellow sea monster Alberto, and the pair end up running away to a nearby fishing village after Luca’s parents threaten to send him away.
While it isn’t explicitly a queer film, many fans empathised with Luca’s plot, and some saw the two boys hiding their sea monster identities as an allegory for being part of the LGBT+ community. Casarosa said in a recent interview with TheWrap that he is overjoyed that his feature-length debut has had such an impact on queer fans.