First ‘Gatto’ Teaser Showcases A Dramatic Aesthetic Departure For Pixar

Disney and Pixar have released the first teaser and poster for Gatto, offering the first look at what may be the most significant visual departure in Pixar’s 30-year history.

Directed by Luca filmmaker Enrico Casarosa, the film is set in a feline-run version of Venice and follows Nero, a black cat indebted to local mob boss Rocco. When an unexpected friendship forces him to reconsider the path his life has taken, Nero embarks on a journey through the city’s canals and back alleys in search of purpose.

The teaser itself is light on story, centering on a comedic interrogation scene between Nero and Rocco, voiced by newly announced cast members Mark Ruffalo and Laurence Fishburne.

When Pixar first announced Gatto at Annecy last year, the studio described the project as a major artistic experiment. The finished footage suggests just how far that experiment goes.

Gone is the polished realism that has defined Pixar since Toy Story. In its place is a painterly aesthetic filled with visible brushstrokes, flattened perspectives, textured lighting, and imagery that often resembles an illustrated storybook brought to life. It’s an aesthetic that more than a few studios have embraced in recent years.

Gatto reunites Casarosa with producer Andrea Warren, his collaborator on the Oscar-nominated Luca, and arrives in theaters on March 5, 2027. The release date places the film in the same early March window that Pixar used for Hoppers this year, a notable departure from the studio’s traditional summer release strategy and a likely indication that Disney was pleased with the results of Daniel Chong’s well-received family film.