Lucca Organizers on the Launch of ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Death Stranding 2’

Fifteen years after Lucca Comics and Games expanded its reach with a dedicated film and TV section, the Italian nerd gathering in the medieval Tuscan town of Lucca has taken its role as a global launch pad for premium scripted fare to the next level.

This year, Netflix’s final “Stranger Things” season and HBO Max’s “It” prequel “Welcome to Derry,” along with other types of buzzy goods like Japanese video game legend Hideo Kojima’s “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” will launch in the city known for its perfectly preserved 16th- and 17th-century ramparts.

As announced, the Duffer Brothers will attend a fan meeting in Lucca on Halloween, along with ‘Stranger Things’ stars Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp.

It could be the biggest coup ever during the event, which takes place from October 29 to November. 2 – although Lucca Comics hosted a similarly high-profile ‘Squid Game’ junket last year. In short, each edition of this huge gathering – attended by more than 200,000 fans – dedicated to fandom, cosplay and the whole world of comics, including films and TV, manages to gain more international fame.

Variety speaks with Lucca Comics director Emanuele Vietina and Giovanni Cova, head of Milan-based entertainment marketing company QMI – Cova leads the programming of Lucca’s film and TV unit – about why they are particularly proud of their “Stranger Things” score.

Emanuele, how important is it to host this ‘Stranger Things’ fan meeting event on Halloween?

Emanuele Vietina: The presence of “Stranger Things” in Lucca marks a high point for several reasons. Netflix is ​​creating a big story around Lucca. To get [to launch] Their excellence puts us on a par with the major capitals of the world, with which we certainly cannot compete in terms of population. Likewise, the choice of what is being called the “grand finale” of Hideo Kojima’s global tour “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach”, with stops in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney and Los Angeles, is a major highlight for us. We have placed Lucca in a circuit of cities with millions of inhabitants. There are these towns, and then there is Lucca with 80,000 inhabitants. The other important aspect of having Kojima in Lucca is that Kojima Productions certainly revolutionized the video game world, but they also created a point of contact between the languages ​​of video games and film.

The Lucca Comics experience has now been turned into a multi-hyphenate film by Manlio Castagna [see separate story]. Are you satisfied with the result?

Vietina: More films have been made at festivals, but probably not with the same level of ambition. We hope this marks something more important. We have sold the rights to one or more [Lucca Comics-themed] movies [to Italian outfit] I wonder between 2025 and 2030. And we are happy that we are treated not just as content, but as a work of art. It is a huge recognition for us. All we asked – and we believe Manlio Castagna answered our call – is that Lucca Comics and Games be used to tell timeless stories that frame universal values. This is really the beauty of this project, because these stories can appeal to children from Manila, Melbourne, Toronto and Stockholm. That’s because everyone plays the same games: everyone lives within the same emotional framework.

Lucca is synonymous with cosplaying. What are the biggest parades this year?

Vietina: When it comes to parades, the world of ‘Death Stranding’ is clearly a leader. Inevitably, something big is about to happen for ‘Death Stranding’ on November 1st. But also for “Critical Role” [the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game]. Matthew Mercer’s genius was to create a broadcast on Twitch that later became an animated TV show on Amazon Prime. So Kojima and Mercer, the two great gods of gaming and video games, will definitely get the main parades.

Giovanni, how is Lucca’s relationship with the American studios and streamers evolving?

Giovanni Cova: We’re still about 50/50 split in terms of both studios and streamers investing in this event. Disney has always been a big player at Lucca, and they are a little bit of both. This year it is a little more on the Disney+ side [with previews of “Twisted Wonderland: The Animated Series” and “Cat’s Eye”]although Disney’s [action sci-fi film] “Predator: Badlands” is also launching. So on the one hand we have the studios that focus on a specific title depending on the year. And on the other side we have the streamers. Both Netflix and Prime Video have a strong presence. Prime is experimenting with Lucca, among others, to launch its unwritten format “The Traitors” in Italy. I think it will go very well because the show lends itself to the idea of ​​a game set in Lucca. So we’re glad Amazon was brave enough to do this. We are also happy with Crunchyroll because they choose very few events like this around the world and they really believe in Lucca. This year Heaven [the Comcast-owned pay TV platform] also has a large presence thanks to “Welcome to Derry.” They will make the most of Lucca, first with screenings of the show’s two related films, ‘It’ and ‘Chapter Two’. And then the world premiere of an episode of the show, followed by an immersive experience on a “Derry Bus” that will transport fans to the mysterious city where the series’ chilling disappearances take place.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Pictured below, from left to right, Emanuele Vietina and Giovanni Cova