First Look at Walt Disney Animation’s Upcoming Short Film ‘Versa’ Has Been Released

Disney animator Malcon Pierce is set to debut his new short film, Versa, at Animation In Film this weekend.

The animated short tells the story of a young couple navigating grief, loss, and eventual joy as they try to start a family. Pierce describes it as a cosmic and imaginative journey told through dance and visual storytelling.

The film was inspired by Pierce’s own life. While working on Moana, he and his wife Keely lost their infant son, Cooper. A small crystal star, a gift from his mother-in-law, became a daily reminder of their child.

“Every morning we’d come downstairs, all these little rainbows would be spread around the house from the little star, and it became a way of remembering Cooper and keeping him close to us,” Pierce said.

Pierce shared the idea for Versa with Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee, who encouraged him to explore the characters’ point of view. Artist Paul Felix helped develop the visuals, creating seven paintings that brought Pierce’s concepts to life.

The story relies heavily on movement and dance, including ice skating, to convey emotions without dialogue.

Pierce worked with choreographers Katherine Hill and Ben Agosto to make the skating feel authentic and to express the couple’s emotional journey. “There’s a shot where the dad skates around the mom and puts his head to listen to their baby in the belly and gets kicked,” Pierce explained. “We were starting to uncover these really incredible nuances.”

Music also plays a key role in the short. Composer Haim Mazar created a score with a 69-piece orchestra, combining orchestral and ’90s synth sounds to reflect the emotional journey of the parents.

Pierce drew further inspiration from the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which repairs broken pottery with gold to symbolize healing and finding beauty through pain. “This idea of earning a relationship with grief and finding hope through the hard stuff was something we really worked hard on,” he said.

Versa is Pierce’s way of processing loss and celebrating life, using animation, music, and dance to convey deep emotions. Cooper’s name also appears in the credits of Moana as a production baby, with a star beside it, symbolizing his enduring presence in Pierce’s life. “I like to say that that star has been my North Star for all of this, and still to this day,” Pierce shared.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!