Pixar has released a new trailer for Gatto, an animated adventure set in the feline underworld of Venice, Italy, where a black cat named Nero is running out of lives and time. Voiced by Mark Ruffalo, Nero finds himself caught between a debt owed to a local cat mob boss and an unexpected friendship with a street musician. Directed by Enrico Casarosa and produced by Andrea Warren, the creative team behind Luca, the film will arrive exclusively in cinemas on March 5, 2027. However, beyond introducing its central character and unusual storyline, the trailer offers a closer look at a visual approach that marks a notable departure from the polished computer-animation style audiences have come to associate with Pixar.
The most striking aspect of Gatto is its painterly appearance. Rather than relying on the smooth, digitally polished finish commonly associated with the studio’s animated features, the film embraces visible painted textures and brushstrokes across its characters and environments. At the same time, it retains the depth, movement and dimensionality of 3D animation. The result is a world that appears to combine the visual qualities of traditional painted artwork with the possibilities of contemporary computer animation. Venice, with its canals, rooftops, narrow streets and distinctive architecture, becomes an especially suitable setting for this approach. The city appears less like a digitally constructed backdrop and more like a painting brought to life.
The scale of the artistic work behind the film is equally notable. More than 65,000 oil-painted frames were reportedly created by a team of over 100 artists. This suggests an extensive effort to establish a consistent visual identity rather than simply applying a painted effect to an otherwise conventional animated production. The textures and brushwork appear to be central to the way the film’s world has been designed, giving its environments and characters a distinctive appearance. The technique also allows the familiar visual depth of 3D animation to coexist with the irregularities and details associated with painted images. With its first full trailer, Gatto is therefore introducing audiences not only to a new Pixar story but also to an ambitious visual experiment.
The narrative follows Nero, a black cat who has spent years navigating Venice, a city shaped by feline superstitions and an underground order. His circumstances become increasingly difficult after he uses eight of his nine lives, leaving him with only one remaining. The situation also forces him to confront a question about how he has spent his time and whether the life he has lived has given him anything meaningful. This existential concern adds another dimension to a story that otherwise draws on crime, comedy and adventure.
Nero’s immediate problem is his debt to Rocco, a local cat mob boss voiced by Laurence Fishburne. With his final life at stake, Nero finds himself in a difficult position as he struggles to escape Rocco’s control. His circumstances take an unexpected turn when he forms an alliance with Maja, a street musician voiced by Bianca Babaşa. Their developing friendship could offer Nero a way out of his predicament, but it also gives him an opportunity to reconsider what he wants from the life he has left. The relationship between the two characters appears central to the film’s emotional direction, placing friendship and personal discovery alongside the more adventurous elements of the story.
The voice cast brings together several familiar performers. Ruffalo and Fishburne lead an ensemble that also includes John Turturro, Isabella Rossellini, Jason Schwartzman, Sherry Cola, Rhys Darby and Tracey Ullman. Director Enrico Casarosa is also part of the voice cast, alongside his responsibilities behind the camera. The range of performers gives the film an opportunity to populate its unusual version of Venice with a varied collection of feline characters and personalities. While the trailer introduces the central conflict, the supporting cast is expected to contribute to the broader world surrounding Nero and his journey.
Music is another important part of Gatto’s identity, particularly given the connection between Nero’s story and a street musician. The original score has been composed by Academy Award-winning composer Dario Marianelli, whose credits include Atonement. The film also features music from Slovak violinist Barbora Botošová. These musical contributions complement the atmosphere established by the film’s setting and visual style. Venice is a city with a strong cultural and artistic identity, and music provides another way for the production to build the world around its central characters. Maja’s role as a street performer also gives the musical elements a direct connection to the story rather than leaving them solely as background accompaniment.
Pixar is also bringing a familiar character back to cinemas before the feature begins. Loving Dory, a new animated short set in the world of Finding Nemo, will screen ahead of Gatto. Ellen DeGeneres returns to voice Dory, the forgetful blue tang, in a story built around an unexpected meet-cute. The short pairs Dory with a plastic bag, turning an everyday piece of rubbish into an unlikely companion. Written and directed by Lou Hamou-Lhadj and produced by Mary Alice Drumm, the short offers a separate animated experience for audiences attending the feature. Its premise also places an ordinary discarded object at the centre of an unusual encounter, using Dory’s familiar personality as the basis for the story.
With Gatto, Pixar is combining an unconventional visual approach with a story about a cat confronting the choices he has made and the limited time he has left. The film’s painterly treatment of Venice, its ensemble voice cast and its combination of crime, humour and friendship give it a distinct identity within the studio’s animated slate. The reported involvement of more than 100 artists and the creation of over 65,000 oil-painted frames also underline the scale of the visual undertaking. Directed by Enrico Casarosa, the film will open exclusively in cinemas on March 5, 2027, accompanied by Loving Dory. While the trailer offers only an introduction to Nero’s journey, it already establishes the film as a visually distinctive addition to Pixar’s upcoming releases.
