Disney and Pixar's Water City of Nero sets 19 March 2027 Japan release
Disney and Pixar’s Venice-set animated film will open in Japan on 19 March 2027, with new artwork introducing a pigeon alongside black-cat hero Nero.
Disney and Pixar’s new animated feature Water City of Nero will open in Japan on 19 March 2027, with the latest campaign material introducing a new pigeon character alongside its black-cat hero.12
The film’s Japanese title is Mizu no Miyako no Nero (水の都のネロ). It follows Nero, a black cat living in Venice, who has been pushed to the margins because superstitious residents consider black cats unlucky. Disney describes the film as a fantasy adventure combining hand-painted, picture-book-inspired visuals with 3D computer animation.1
Nero’s new companion
The newly released image shows Nero standing on a rooftop with a pigeon, apparently engaged in a lively conversation. The character’s identity and role in Nero’s journey remain under wraps, but the scene offers another glimpse at the film’s Venice setting and its unusual cast of talking animals.2
The film is directed by Enrico Casarosa, whose previous work includes Pixar’s Luca. Mark Ruffalo voices Nero, while Laurence Fishburne plays Rocco, a cat who controls Venice’s criminal underworld.2 Disney and Pixar have positioned the project as a more unusual entry in the studio’s catalogue: its central character is a stray black cat, and the city’s canals and rooftops provide a darker backdrop than the usual sunny animated adventure.1
Disney’s official film page also carries a teaser trailer and confirms the 19 March Japanese release date. The project previously drew attention when its first teaser introduced Nero and the film’s hand-crafted visual style.1
Our opinion
Water City of Nero has a stronger visual identity than its simple logline might suggest. A black cat navigating a stylised Venice gives the film an immediately readable world, while Casarosa’s Luca connection points to a director comfortable with warmth, place and outsider characters. The new pigeon image is only a small update, but it hints that the film’s supporting cast could be as important to its charm as Nero himself. The next trailer will need to show how the darker criminal-underworld premise fits beside Pixar’s familiar emotional storytelling.