Pixar is coming up with a purr-fect story. After an official announcement last year, the studio has released the first teaser of Gatto, starring Mark Ruffalo as a black cat named Nero and Laurence Fishburne as a ruthless cat mob boss. The nearly one-minute-long video gives a glimpse into the world of the studio's first attempt at making a digital animation out of hand-painted watercolor textures to make it a "living painting."

The official plotline of Gatto reads, "After years of maneuvering the canal-ridden, superstitious city of Venice, Italy, Nero begins to question whether he’s lived the right lives. Indebted to Rocco, the local feline mob boss, Nero finds himself in a quandary and is forced to forge a truly unexpected friendship that may finally lead him to his purpose—unless Venice gets the better of him first."

Gatto is directed by Enrico Casarosa, who has previously directed Pixar's Luca. He has also worked as a story artist on Cars, Cars 2, Ratatouille, and Up. He was also the head of story on The Good Dinosaur. Currently in production, Gatto is set to be released in 2027.

The teaser comes just a week ahead of the release of Toy Story 5, the fifth instalment in the popular long-running franchise, directed by Andrew Stanton. Pixar's previous venture, Hoppers, which hit theatres earlier this year, received positive reviews from critics and grossed $388 million worldwide.