Pixar’s Gatto Movie Brings Feline Charm to Venice in 2027

Pixar is once again setting sail for Italy with its latest animated feature, Gatto. Scheduled for release in 2027, Pixar’s Gatto movie promises a visually stunning, emotionally rich journey through the heart of Venice — told from the perspective of a street-smart black cat with a love for music. Directed by Luca filmmaker Enrico Casarosa and produced by Andrea Warren, this new project is already generating buzz for its fresh hand-painted art style and heartfelt premise.

For fans wondering what Pixar is working on after Toy Story 5, Gatto is shaping up to be one of the studio’s most imaginative and stylistically bold entries yet. Here’s everything we know so far about Pixar’s Gatto movie, including its storyline, creative team, visual style, and what it means for Pixar’s future.

Gatto: Pixar Returns to Italy with a New Kind of Hero

Pixar’s Gatto movie follows a music-loving black cat navigating the canals and rooftops of Venice — not just as a feline but as a clever character caught in a tangled web of the city’s “feline crime scene.” The story centers around his bond with a young girl, promising a tale that balances whimsical charm with emotional depth, much like Luca or Coco.

Set in a richly animated version of Venice, Gatto blends cultural authenticity with Pixar’s signature storytelling. Director Enrico Casarosa, known for his personal Italian touch in Luca, brings back that sense of place, but this time through a more stylized and painterly lens. Early concept art suggests a departure from Pixar’s traditional 3D look — leaning into a distinct, handcrafted visual identity.

For Pixar, Gatto is more than just another animal-led adventure. It’s a statement of creative evolution. As the studio adapts to new audience expectations in a post-streaming landscape, films like Gatto highlight Pixar’s willingness to take artistic risks while staying true to their storytelling roots.

Behind the Scenes: Gatto’s Creative Team and Animation Style

The pairing of Casarosa and Warren marks a reunion of the team that delivered the heartfelt seaside story of Luca, which resonated globally for its themes of friendship, identity, and freedom. With Gatto, this duo appears poised to push the emotional envelope further while exploring entirely new visual territory.

According to reports from the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Pixar’s Gatto movie will feature a “distinct, unique hand-painted” aesthetic — a radical shift from the studio’s usual polished CG style. This could place Gatto in the same stylistic conversation as Sony’s Spider-Verse series or Netflix’s Klaus, both of which gained acclaim for redefining animation aesthetics.

Pixar hasn’t often strayed far from its house look, so Gatto’s painterly visuals could signal a new era for the studio — one that emphasizes diversity not just in stories and characters, but also in the look and feel of its films. That level of experimentation reflects Pixar’s ongoing push to stay artistically relevant amid a saturated animated film market.

Toy Story 5 and Hoppers: Pixar’s Expanding Lineup

While Pixar’s Gatto movie takes us to the vibrant streets of Venice, it’s not the only project currently in development. At Annecy, Pixar also teased Toy Story 5, set for release on June 19, 2026. This sequel will reunite familiar characters like Woody, Buzz, and Jessie as they confront a new kind of challenge — a smart tablet device that has captured their owner Bonnie’s attention. The character design suggests inspiration from real-life educational toys like Leapfrog and VTech, adding a modern tech twist to the beloved franchise.

In addition, the studio revealed an intriguing original project titled Hoppers, from We Bare Bears creator Daniel Chong. The film follows a girl named Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) who uses experimental technology to transfer her consciousness into a robotic beaver in an effort to save a local pond. While Hoppers doesn’t yet have a release date, its offbeat premise reinforces Pixar’s commitment to developing unconventional, imaginative stories.

The slate of Gatto, Toy Story 5, and Hoppers shows Pixar leaning into both legacy IP and bold, original concepts. It’s a delicate balancing act, but one that may help the studio reclaim its creative edge after a few commercially underwhelming years.

What Pixar’s Gatto Movie Means for the Studio’s Future

Over the past few years, Pixar has faced increasing pressure — both creatively and commercially. Streaming releases during the pandemic era (Turning Red, Luca, Soul) received critical praise but didn’t enjoy full box-office runs. More recent theatrical efforts have had mixed success. That makes the stakes for Pixar’s Gatto movie especially high.

By choosing to center a black cat in Venice with a visually distinct approach, Pixar is signaling that it’s listening to audiences who want more than just sequels or formulaic stories. Gatto could mark a creative renaissance for the studio, appealing to both longtime fans and new global audiences with its emotional core, artistic risk-taking, and universal themes.

Ultimately, Gatto might do for cats what Ratatouille did for rats — transforming an unlikely animal protagonist into a Pixar icon. And in doing so, it may just help reestablish Pixar’s reputation as the leader in emotionally rich, visually stunning animation.