Every Pixar film is jam-packed with Easter Eggs and fans have come to expect searching for three main hidden gems: The Pixar Ball (or Luxo Jr. Ball), the Pizza Planet Truck, and the code A113. As a quick recap, the Pixar ball first appeared in Pixar’s short film, Luxo, Jr. — premiering during SIGGRAPH 1986 and released theatrically alongside Toy Story 2 in 1999. The Pizza Planet Truck made its debut in Toy Story, and A113 is a nod to the classroom number at the California Institute of the Arts where many of today’s animation legends studied.
One thing Pixar fans have also come to expect is an Easter Egg referencing the next Pixar film (in this case, Luca). This one is always harder to find since you often have to validate it after seeing the future film. But, wait no longer as the Easter Egg for Luca, releasing June 18, 2021, has been found.
In the second full-length trailer for Soul which was released on October 14, we spotted an interesting poster that rang a lot of bells in our minds. The seemingly ordinary poster with the words “Visit Portorosso” is featured inside the “Go Far Travel” travel agency as Joe walks along the New York Streets.
If you look at the poster, you can see what could be a seaside town along the Italian Riviera — with its bright buildings and proximity to the water (or, sea). Additionally, if you really squint and look, it appears to say, “Fly Luca Airlines” as a nod to the film as well.
But, what really sealed the deal for us was a recent copyright claim which Pixar filed in June (as spotted by an Eagle-eyed Forum user plantthe24) that included the phrase, “LUCA PORTOROSSO, ISOLA DEL MARE, THE PIAZZA.” It was speculated online that the title character’s last name may be Portorosso, but the poster leans towards Portorosso being the name of the city — especially since Isola Del Mare translates to “Island of the Sea.” We couldn’t help but wonder if the poster was painted by Luca director, Enrico Casarosa, who is known for his beautiful watercolors. He even painted many of the real backgrounds in his short film, La Luna.
Be sure to watch the full video highlighting even more Easter Eggs in Soul embedded above or directly on our YouTube page. If you spot any extras, be sure to leave a comment below, or chat about this news with other Pixar fans in the Pixar Post Forum.
