Pixar's new animated feature, "Luca," will hit Chinese theaters on Aug. 20, making it the market's first Hollywood release since June. 

The film is a coming-of-age story set in an Italian seaside town, where the titular character and his newfound best friend enjoy summertime adventures. All is not as it seems though, as the duo harbors a closely-guarded secret: they are actually sea monsters from a world deep in the ocean. 

"Luca" is the feature-length debut of Oscar-nominated director Enrico Casarosa and was produced by Andrea Warren. Pete Docter, chief creative officer at Pixar Animation Studios and the director of award-winning films such as "Soul," "Up" and "Inside Out," served as executive producer.

The film was well-received by critics who praised its visuals, voice acting and themes of nostalgia. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film boasts a 91% approval rating based on 275 reviews.

Originally set to hit North American screens in mid-June, Disney decided to scrap the film's domestic theatrical release due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and instead released it exclusively on the company's streaming service, Disney+. It did, however, get a theatrical release in countries without the streaming service in June. By this July, the film had grossed more than $21 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. 

Since the release of Sony Pictures' "Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway" in June, there's been a dearth of Hollywood blockbusters on Chinese screens, however, industry insiders hope that "Luca" will end the lukewarm summer season, which was dealt another blow after a new wave of COVID-19 infections were recently discovered in China. To prevent a full-blown outbreak, many movie theaters in low-risk areas have limited ticket sales to 75%, while those in medium- and high-risk areas are closed until further notice. Likewise, the release of several other blockbusters, including "The Battle at Changjin Lake," are being delayed. 

Over the course of its 35-year history, Pixar has released 23 animated films that have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide and won hundreds of awards including 17 Oscars. But the animation juggernaut has seen mixed box office results in China. To date, the studio's most successful Chinese release was "Coco," which grossed 1.23 billion yuan in 2017. Last year's Christmas release of "Soul" went on to gross 376 million, making it Pixar's second-biggest title in China.

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