The new Pixar film "Luca" starts on June 18th on Disney+. The strip takes the viewer to the small coastal town of Portorosso on the Italian Riviera and accompanies the boy Luca and his friend Alberto as they discover the "human village". New territory for the two - because they are sea monsters from the underwater world and must always be careful not to be discovered as such. Disney + has brought prominent support on board for the dubbing. Singer and moderator Giovanni Zarrella (43) speaks the village bully Ercole, his brother Stefano Zarrella (30) slips into the role of the boy Ciccio, Ercole's right hand.
"The film is incredibly heartfelt. It's about holding on to your dreams, finding people who live your dreams with you and encourage them," enthuses Giovanni Zarrella in an interview with the news agency spot on news The film takes place in Italy and convinced the two brothers with Italian roots to work on the project, the singer and moderator explains.
Stefano Zarrella: "My dad called me Pummelchen"
In "Luca" Giovanni Zarrella voices the conceited and vain villain Ercole, who is doing everything he can to emerge victorious again in the Portorosso Cup race. His loyal follower Ciccio, voiced by Stefano Zarrella, has to put up with one or the other meanness. "It took some getting used to for me to be the bully. It was weird to play something that didn't suit my nature. Wanting to punch someone – that doesn't suit me at all," says Giovanni Zarrella about his role. But it was nice to play such a character. But he doesn't see anything in common between him and the mean Ercole: "I'm never mean. I can be very assertive when I feel I've been treated unfairly or my close circle has been treated unfairly. Then I'll clearly state my opinion."
Stefano Zarrella explains his role as the insecure, plump boy Ciccio: "Ciccio has a few kilos too much on his ribs – there are parallels. I used to weigh a little more and my dad called me Ciccio. That means chubby." And he and the little Italian boy have something else in common: "I recognized myself in the role of Ciccio because I always listened to Giovanni's advice, even today. After all, he has a lot more experience than me." He asks his big brother for tips. "Typical big brother, little brother."
Giovanni and Stefano Zarrella: who listens to whom?
Thirteen years lie between the brothers. This was noticeable in childhood and adolescence. "Of course I used to be a role model, but that's no longer necessary. Stefano does everything quite well on his own," says Giovanni Zarrella with a smile. However, he can't quite get out of his skin - especially in the area of social media: "I tell Stef: 'Be careful what you posted there, I wouldn't do it that way. You could understand it differently.' I've gained a lot of experience over the years."
However, he could still learn a lot from his younger brother in this business, because producing social media posts "is not in my nature," says Giovanni Zarrella. "I'm 13 years older than Stefano - you can tell that. Now I'm hoping for a few good tips from him. But I'm not starting to cook!"
Stefano Zarrella, who regularly reveals recipes on TikTok and Instagram, doesn't need his big brother's help when cooking. Things are different in business, because he could "learn a lot from Giovanni," he explains. "Who you can count on and who you can't count on, what to look out for when dealing with the media. Whoever is in the public eye bears a great deal of responsibility." He now has to "think twice about what I'm posting" – and asks Giovanni for advice. "We're a really good team and we can always count on each other," enthuses Stefano Zarrella.
"Familial cohesion is sacred to us"
"When we are with our parents, we speak a mixture of Swabian and Italian," says Stefano about the Zarrella family reunions. "Every Sunday it's very noisy in our Zarrella house. Mom is in the kitchen and cooks for everyone. I also like to cook with her. When I have children soon, I want to bring this culture closer to them. This family bond is sacred to us."
The two brothers grew up in Germany - but their parents' homeland, Italy, plays a major role in their lives, as Giovanni Zarrella explains: "Our attitude towards life within the family is 'typically' Italian - the values that I want to instill in my children , and what we transport to the outside." Italians aren't more familiar than Germans, "but we dare to celebrate family more, even to the outside world," says the singer. "I think it's important that you say 'I love you' every time you say goodbye, even to your grandparents, and that you're incredibly open and affectionate with each other. I try to convey that to my children - and that's very Italian."
