Apple TV Plus has been on a serious hot streak lately, having put out a whole bunch of incredible shows and scoring the Best Picture Oscar for CODA. Now they’re gunning for Disney’s crown, with the first teaser for the upcoming animated exclusive Luck giving us some serious Pixar vibes.
Then again, this isn’t surprising given that John Lasseter was (controversially) installed as Skydance’s head of animation in 2019.
The story of the film follows the activities of a secret department devoted to doling out good and bad luck. In the trailer, Scottish black cat Bob (voiced by Simon Pegg) gives us a quick tour of the facility, explaining that one of the keys to the department’s success is that no human has ever set foot inside… so you can imagine what’s about to happen.
Eva Noblezada voices Sam, described in the synopsis as “the unluckiest person in the world,” who journeys through the Land of Luck in an attempt to reverse her fortunes. Along the way, she’ll meet The Dragon (Jane Fonda), The Captain (Whoopi Goldberg), and ‘Rootie’ (voiced by John Ratzenberger).
That last bit of casting has to be a shot across Pixar’s bows, as Ratzenberger is indelibly associated with the company and had a role in their first 22 movies (most notably Hamm in the Toy Story series). The idea of a metaphysical concept turning out to be a regimented bureaucracy is also extremely Pixar, as seen in Monsters Inc, Inside Out, Coco, and Soul.
It remains to be seen whether Luck has what it takes to compete against Pixar’s wonders, something we’ll find out when the film releases later this year. More as we hear it.
