Why Luca Isn't Showing in Theaters and Why That's OK
pixar, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
I was surprised with the radio ads announcing that Luca was coming out this week on Disney+. The ads made no mention of movie theaters. It surprised me because everything is starting to go back to normal, movie theaters are opening up, and movie directors are tooting their horns that their movies are releasing only in theaters.
Every year, Pixar releases two films: one a cash grab and the other an Oscar grab. Between Pixar's 2021 slate of Luca and Seeing Red, it's evident that Luca is the Oscar bait. Oscar rules state that it must be shown on a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles to qualify for an Academy Award nomination (Oscars). If Pixar is required to display its movie on a large screen, wouldn't it make sense for them to distribute it to theaters across the nation, especially at a time like this?
Someone reading may ask, Well, what about Soul? It didn't play in any theaters, yet it won Best Animated Feature. Soul was an exception. It was the first Oscar winner that didn't have a theater run (Mondello). The academy made an exception because of Covid-19. Theaters were closed, so the academy made temporary rules that wouldn't extend beyond 2021's ceremony (Buchanan). The academy again requires Oscar nominees to be shown in an L.A. theater now that the ceremony is over. Pixar is adhering to this rule by showing Luca in one theater, the El Capitan theater in Hollywood (Guerrasio).
Though Disney hasn't made a statement as to why they chose not to show Luca in theaters across the nation, there are speculations as to why this is an intelligent business strategy. The best theory is that it wouldn't make sense to pit one of their more prestigious films against two cash-grabbing blockbusters like Cruella or Black Widow (El-Mahmoud). Instead, it would make sense for them to advertise Pixar's new film as an addition to one of Disney's most profitable appendages: Disney+ (Franko). Economics aside, as someone who constantly complains about the need for films to be shown in theaters, for this movie, it doesn't matter. I enjoyed this movie as much in the living room as I probably would have if I watched it in theaters. So let's talk about it!
Just like all of Pixar's movies, Luca is a beautiful film. While introducing a unique style to the Pixar repertoire, Luca has still maintained the level of craft found in Pixar's other movies. Though this is a beautiful film, it doesn't have the sound design work where movie-goers would need to watch it in theaters. The animation and unique style make this movie a must-see, but as I said, this isn't a movie that viewers need to watch in theaters.
The animation was fantastic. It's incredible how far Pixar has come since Toy Story. When you watch any Pixar film that has come out within the last five years, it's hard not to be amazed at the ultra-realistic landscapes and settings. The model for having these realistic settings and backgrounds while maintaining the exaggerated character designs makes Pixar movies almost instantly recognizable. Luca followed suit.
Even though the movie follows suit in realistic settings with exaggerated character designs, Luca still brings a unique style to the table. The exaggerated characters didn't look like those in other Pixar films. Instead, they looked like the Claymation characters you would find in an Aardman Animations movie like Wallace and Gromit or Shaun the Sheep.
Luca isn't a movie that viewers need to watch in theaters. Luca or any of the Pixar movies weren't made specifically for the movie theaters, such as A Quiet Place or Sound of Metal. So much work went into the sound design of those two movies that they need to be watched with theater speakers to be fully appreciated. Pixar movies put most of their work into the animation, and they do a fantastic job, but I think this art can be enjoyed on a home screen just as much as it would on a big screen. Another reason is that even though there are films like Soul or Luca that are Pixar's attempts at prestige, I've never watched an animated film that serves as a full realization of cinema as a visual medium. Movies like A Quiet Place or Sound of Metal rely almost entirely on visuals to tell the story. In typically every animated film, you're going to find a lot of expositional on-the-nose dialogue. That's OK; animation studios typically cater their movies toward children and an overseas audience. Cartoons have a lot of talking because they need to for their audience. Whether an animated film is an attempt at an Oscar win or not, if it's made by a big studio like Pixar, no matter how prestigious they try to make it, it's still going to fit under that blockbuster category. So, pop your popcorn and enjoy Luca from the comfort of your own home.
(2020, April 28). AWARDS RULES AND CAMPAIGN REGULATIONS APPROVED FOR 93RD OSCARS®. Oscars. https://www.oscars.org/news/awards-rules-and-campaign-regulations-approved-93rd-oscarsr.
Mondello, B. (2021, April 25). Pixar's 'Soul' Wins Best Animated Feature — The Film Never Played In U.S. Theaters. Npr. https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-oscars-2021/2021/04/25/989617582/pixars-soul-wins-best-animated-feature-the-film-never-played-in-u-s-theaters
Buchanan, K. (2021, January 27). Oscars Rule to Allow Films to Skip a Theatrical Release This Year. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/movies/oscars-2021-streaming-coronavirus.html
Guerrasio, J. (2021, June 3). 'Luca' will be the first Pixar movie in over a year to premiere in theaters — one to be exact. Insider. https://www.insider.com/pixar-luca-premiere-at-one-movie-theater-2021-6.
El-Mahmoud, S. (2021, April 2). Why Won't Disney Let Us Cry In Theaters With Pixar's Soul And Luca? Cinema Blend. https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2565316/why-disney-let-us-cry-theaters-pixar-soul-luca-streaming-summer-2021-movies.
Franko, R. (2021, March 3). How Is Disney+ Bringing in So Much Money Right Now? AllEars. https://allears.net/2021/03/03/how-is-disney-bringing-in-so-much-money-right-now/.
