When “Percy Jackson” series stars Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri make the trek to Italy’s Lucca Comics and Games Festival in late October – to unveil unseen footage ahead of the Nov. 20 release of Season 3 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” – they will travel to a unique geek meet held within the 16th century walls of a medieval Tuscan town that is attended by more than 200,000 fans each year.
This massive event dedicated to fandom, cosplay and the whole world of comics, including movies and TV, is the biggest pop culture festival in Europe. Lucca in recent years has reached a level of relevance for Hollywood and the Asian industry that is second to none.
Variety speaks to Giovanni Cova, who is head of Milan-based entertainment marketing company QMI that leads programming of Lucca’s film and TV strand, about how the event is bolstering its status as an unmissable launching pad at a time when the role of traditional festivals as promotional vehicles is being questioned.
Why are Hollywood studios and streamers choosing Lucca for their big launches?
This year we are, of course, absolutely delighted to have Disney’s support and to serve as a key stop on a major promotional tour, in this case, for “Percy Jackson.” I believe that, in the grand scheme of things, this further confirms that Lucca has become an essential international stage to unveil major series released in the autumn season. In recent years, we have served as “a” — if not “the” — primary showcase for titles like “Stranger Things,” “Squid Game,” “Wednesday” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Lucca has firmly established itself as a constant presence on the global promotional circuit for studios and streaming platforms, which is something that gives us great satisfaction. The fact that such significant promotional events are taking place here in Europe, in Italy, and specifically in a city like Lucca is truly gratifying. Of course, we must thank the local offices of the major studios and streaming services. They have effectively communicated the importance of Lucca to the decision-makers back in Los Angeles.
What makes Lucca stand out? What gives it such global reach?
Given the high profile of the guests who attend Lucca, the media exposure we generate is truly significant. Furthermore, the unique nature of the Lucca festival, the photo opportunities it provides, and the chance for talent to get up close and personal with their actual fans is, in my view, absolutely priceless. You can see this in the images from the launches of series or films in Lucca. They travel around the world because they are so distinctive. Very different from the typical red-carpet scene. Seeing the ancient Piazza San Michele packed with people, and witnessing those genuine encounters between the cast and the audience. That is the unique experience we offer to the entertainment world.
Talk to me about Lucca’s other “big gets” this year
Well, it’s fantastic for us to have Frank Miller here. He loves Italy; he loves Lucca, and he’s returning for what I believe is the fourth or fifth time. We couldn’t be happier. Frank truly embodies the values of Lucca and the types of genre we love. We also have talents like Kore-eda [Hirokazu] who this year attended the Cannes Film Festival for one type of project [“Sheep in the Box”], but is then coming to Lucca for another [“Look Back”]. Then there’s Joe Manganiello, who, much like Frank, is a huge fan of Lucca. He embodies the festival’s spirit, spanning cinema, video games and tabletop games. He really represents the multimedia nature of Lucca.
Lucca transcends these boundaries. Talk to me about the different types of experiences it offers.
Another crucial aspect of Lucca is that, beyond the screenings and the presence of talent, the festival offers the public a chance to truly engage with a property. To experience it firsthand. There are pavilions and live installations where the audience can immerse themselves in these worlds. We’ll have a “Harry Potter” experience, a K-pop-themed experience from Netflix, and a pavilion from Crunchyroll, which, in addition to hosting numerous premieres, allows fans to engage directly with its content. We’ll also see this with “Percy Jackson,” from Disney, as well as with “Dexter” for Paramount+. Ultimately, these installations, these immersive, interactive and event-driven experiences are just as significant as the presence of talent.
At a time when the promotional value of festivals is coming into question what’s keeping Lucca so relevant?
In my view, the main difference between Lucca and traditional festivals is that, at Lucca, there is no filter between the content, the talent and the audience. Traditional festivals are events where content is typically presented to industry professionals and the press, who then act as intermediaries, bringing that content to the general public. In Lucca, instead, film criticism is not part of the festival’s DNA. For Lucca, presenting content simply means bringing it directly to the fans. There is no mediation by industry insiders, critics or film journalists. And I say this without being judgmental. It is simply that we are not that type of festival. Consequently, we don’t have to worry about generating “bad press,” as that falls outside our scope and purpose. We simply provide studios with the opportunity to connect directly with the audience, whether through content or specific activations.