Lucca Comics and Games director Emanuele Vietina is understandably proud of the lineup he’s assembled for the 60th edition of this unique event, to be held Oct. 28-Nov. 1 in the Tuscan town of Lucca, which seamlessly spans the full gamut of geek culture and pop entertainment.
It also attracts more than 200,000 fans a day – many of which cosplayers – within its medieval ramparts.
As previously announced, highlights of this year’s edition include a sneak peak of Season 3 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” with talents in tow and the presence of Aardman Animations’ founder Peter Lord and director Peter Walker for the Italian premiere of “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.” In a major coup, Japanese filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu will be making the trek to Lucca to meet fans and discuss adapting Fujimoto Tatsuki’s manga “Look Back,” which blends live-action realism with the creative process behind the manga genre.
To mark its 60th anniversary, Lucca will feature “Lucca Legacy: A Comics and Games Story” exhibition in the 14th century Palazzo Guinigi, which will dig into the archival vaults to “tell a seminal story that was made by [Marvel legend] Stan Lee, [‘Iron Man,’ ‘Black Panther’ and ‘The X-Men’] creator Jack Kirby, [iconic Hearst cartoonist] Lee Falk and all the great American artists comics that found a home in Lucca in the 70s,” says Vietina.
The Lucca Comics chief speaks to Variety about pulling out all the stops to celebrate the crossover between different forms of geek culture, in particular between movies and video games.
How does the “Percy Jackson” world tie in with Lucca’s theme this year which is “Legacy”?
The “Legacy” theme represents, if you will, the heritage of what has become one of the world’s major comic conventions. The way film and TV series at Lucca engage with the great fantasy storytelling of Percy Jackson is that the book’s author, Rick Riordan, is essentially bringing things up to date. We often talk about “contemporary mythology.” With Percy Jackson, which features Olympus and the Olympian gods, he revitalizes the great heritage of classical Greco-Roman culture, making it accessible to young people today.
An event like ours deals with contemporary mythologies, yet it remains firmly anchored in the mythology of the past. This year, however, is particularly emblematic. For the movie world, Lucca is not merely the oldest comics convention in existence, or even the only one to feature a formal red carpet in front of an opera house that dates back to the turn of the 20th century.
On top of these aspects, we will also have a special fan screening of “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,” which is the latest entry in the “Hunger Games” film franchise, based on Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel. Warner Bros. will bring the world of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” [known as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in the U.S.] to Lucca in an immersive pavilion while we wait for the new HBO series. So with Riordan, Collins and J. K. Rowling, Lucca will become, above all, the realm where great literature meets great cinema.
What are other aspects of Lucca this year that you are particularly proud of?
Another aspect that characterizes Lucca is the exhibition side. In Lucca, we have the big premieres with talents, but there are also big stands for fans. So “Percy Jackson” will have a dedicated experience space, the same goes with “Harry Potter,” but there is also “Dexter” and others. This year we have set the all-time record of investments from the studios and streamers.
This helps attract the thousands of cosplayers that pour into town. What else is in store for them?
There is plenty of room for the world of cosplay, with a particular focus on crossovers between the cinematic realm and the video game world. We’ll see a significant presence from [Polish video game developer] CD Projekt Red, featuring “Cyberpunk 2077” and the “Cyberpunk Edgerunners” animation, as well as “The Witcher,” which will be represented alongside its latest downloadable content (DLC). It’s clear that this European studio has truly embraced the crossover concept, especially given the news surrounding a cinematic expansion for “Cyberpunk 2077.”
Tell me more about how Lucca reflects the crossover between video games and movies
For us, the strong focus that Lucca Comics and Games places on video games, specifically from a cinematic perspective, is very important. In this context, I want to point out that we will have Hideki Kamiya [the legendary game director behind “Resident Evil 2,” “Devil May Cry” and “Okami”], and also [director and producer] Yoshinori Kitase, who will revitalize the connection with Square Enix and the “Final Fantasy” fan base. Then there is the presence of the creators of “Alien: Isolation 2,” a game that is very strongly driven by movies. It’s all part of a specific vision.
Animation, of course, plays a big role. Talk to me about that aspect
In terms of legacy, this 60th edition of Lucca marks a great return to a major focus on animation. I’ve already mentioned CD Projekt Red, with Bartosz Sztybor and Saya Elder, who are the producer and showrunner of “Edgerunners” coming to Lucca. Just as importantly, we have [Cartoon Network Studio’s] “Adventure Time” with one of its co-creators Victor Cartwright on hand. Then we will have Aardman Animations represented by its founder Peter Lord. They will be coming for the Italian premiere of “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.” Lord, who, of course, is beloved by everyone, will be honored on our “Walk of Fame,” as he represents one of the most significant legacies in the field. He’ll be joined by Matthew Walker, the film’s director. For us, Peter’s presence is truly meaningful.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.