Lino DiSalvo Twisted Movie: Full 2027 Preview
I follow animation news closely, and very few projects have pulled at my curiosity like Lino DiSalvo Twisted. It comes from the man who led the animation team on Frozen, and this time he is telling a story rooted in his own Italian family. In this guide I will walk you through the plot, the folklore behind it, the people making it, and when you can finally sit down and watch it.
Lino DiSalvo Twisted is an upcoming CG-animated comedy-adventure directed by Lino DiSalvo, the head of animation on Frozen. It follows Angelina, a teenage girl in a small Italian alpine town whose growing lies open a portal to a mythical world. To fix the mess, she teams up with the Badalisc, a truth-telling folklore creature. The film is produced by Mediawan Kids & Family and is slated for an early 2027 release.
What Is Lino DiSalvo Twisted About?
The story of Lino DiSalvo Twisted centres on Angelina, an 18-year-old girl who lives in a small town in the Alpine Camonica Valley in northern Italy. She is the heir to her parents’ beloved pizzeria, and she worries that walking away from that family tradition might break their hearts.
So she does what many of us have done in smaller ways. She tells a lie, then another to cover the first, and slowly her web of deceit grows. In the film, those lies do something magical and dangerous. They open a portal to a mythical world and set loose mischievous creatures, each one born from a story she made up. To set things right, Angelina has to team up with a neurotic but soft-hearted truth-telling monster called the Badalisc.
At its heart, this is a coming-of-age tale about honesty, family pressure, and the courage it takes to be true to yourself. If you enjoy imaginative, world-hopping stories, you might also like some of these underrated sci-fi films worth watching now while you wait for this one.
Who Is Lino DiSalvo?
Lino DiSalvo spent close to two decades at Walt Disney Animation Studios before stepping out on his own. He worked as an animator on films like Chicken Little, rose to supervising animator on Tangled and Bolt, and became head of animation on Frozen, a film that earned more than 1.3 billion dollars worldwide.
After Disney, he directed Playmobil: The Movie and the Emmy-nominated Christmas special Reindeer in Here. The fact that Lino DiSalvo Twisted draws on his own childhood is part of what makes it feel so honest, since this marks his return to the director’s chair with an original idea he has carried for years.
What grounds the whole project is his background. Born and raised in Brooklyn to Italian American parents of Sicilian origin, DiSalvo grew up expecting to take over the family pizzeria. The pull between family legacy and personal dreams sits right at the centre of the movie.
The Real Badalisc Legend Behind the Story
The Badalisc at the heart of Lino DiSalvo Twisted is not made up for the screen. It comes from a genuine tradition in the Camonica Valley, where villagers gather around the Feast of the Epiphany in early January. One person dresses as the horned creature, the community hunts and captures him, and then he is paraded through the streets.
The fun part is what happens next. The Badalisc delivers a cheeky speech that airs the town’s secrets, gossip, and small grievances from the past year. Once everything is out in the open, the community feels lighter and at peace again.
The film adds a clever turn. In the story, the town has grown so tired of having their business exposed that they banish the poor creature to the woods. That setup reshapes an old ritual into something fresh, funny, and surprisingly emotional.
Meet Angelina and the Main Characters
Lino DiSalvo Twisted leans on a small but strong cast of personalities.
- Angelina: A feisty Italian teenager torn between loyalty to her family and her own dreams. Her lies drive the entire plot.
- The Badalisc: A sensitive, slightly neurotic monster whose only “crime” is telling the truth. He becomes Angelina’s unlikely partner.
- The town and family: Angelina’s parents and her tight-knit village give the story its warmth and its pressure at the same time.
Who Is Making Twisted?
Lino DiSalvo Twisted is led by producer Emmanuel Jacomet for Mediawan Kids & Family, with Italy’s Palomar handling the co-production side. The script is written by Kissy Dugan, and the whole project carries a reported budget of around 15 million dollars.
Most of the production is being done in France. Dwarf Animation Studio in Montpellier leads the work, with support from Palomar Animation Studios in Bologna, and up to 150 people are involved across the pipeline. Sola Media is handling international sales, while Le Pacte, France 3 Cinéma, and Paramount+ France are attached on the French side. You can read more production detail in coverage from outlets like Variety and Deadline.
When Will Twisted Release?
Lino DiSalvo Twisted is currently slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2027, which points to an early 2027 arrival in cinemas. First-look footage was shown at the Cannes Film Market, and the project has already been presented at industry events including Cartoon Movie in Bordeaux and the Annecy festival.
As an upcoming title, exact dates can shift, so I would treat early 2027 as the working window rather than a locked date. I will update this page as soon as a firm release schedule is confirmed.
Why I Am Excited About Twisted
What draws me to Lino DiSalvo Twisted is how personal it feels. So many big animated films chase trends, but this one grew out of one man’s childhood and a real village ritual. That kind of honest storytelling tends to age well.
The premise also lands a simple, useful message for young viewers. Lying to others gets messy, but lying to yourself is the real trap. If you like films built on heart and character rather than noise, keep this one on your radar alongside other strong 2026 and 2027 picks like the ones in my honest action movie roundup. Fans of creature-driven stories may also enjoy my take on this folklore-flavoured horror review.
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Conclusion
Lino DiSalvo Twisted feels like the kind of animated film that comes from the heart rather than a formula. It blends a real Italian festival, a likable teenage lead, and a gentle message about honesty into one warm adventure. With the Frozen animation veteran in charge and a strong European team behind him, this is a 2027 release worth watching for. I will keep this guide updated as more news arrives.
