Are luca and alberto gay

Luca is an animated film that can be interpreted in myriad ways. Like many films of this ilk, your interpretation is oftentimes valid, even if not necessarily canon to the wider story, which in this case caused an uproar when it comes to two of its main characters. Titular protagonist Luca Paguro and childhood friend Alberto Scorfano have long been keen to explore beyond the sea they were raised in, to discover what wonders the human world will hold, despite the fact their true identities might never be accepted. The duo interact with each other constantly throughout, growing their lifelong friendship through hardship, adversity, and new companions who call the land home.

Though "Luca" director Enrico Casarosa has always said while doing press that the story is based on his straight relationship with his best friend growing up in Italy, in a recent interview with The Wrap he did admit that for a moment while developing the story they wondered if Luca and Alberto should be more than just friends. The things we did talk a lot about is what is the metaphor here for being a sea monster, for being different. Casarosa said at the end of the day he leaned into how he and his friend were growing up to shape the two characters' dynamic. Last June, former Insider reporter Jacob Sarkisian wrote about his disappointment that "Luca" didn't commit to being a queer movie.

Kodi Maier does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Set in the fictional seaside town of Portorosso, Luca is a story of adventure, escape, difference and found family. As a queer animation researcher, I know first hand how pronounced that problem is in film and TV. The issue with Luca comes down to the difference between queerbaiting and queer coding.

Sea monsters that can become human when dry but change back to sea monsters when they get wet? Beautiful animated shots of the Italian Riviera? Young friendship with mild gay undertones? When the release date came, I was perfectly happy to pull open my laptop and enjoy a tight 95 minutes of friendship and fun.