Disney director's loss of son inspired new wordless animated film 'Versa'

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Disney director's loss of son inspired new wordless animated film 'Versa'

'I was just thinking about grief as this incredibly big and nearly impossible thing to get over,' director says in interview

Rachel del Guidice Fox News

Published

January 5, 2026 4:56pm EST

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The artistic director for Disney’s short, "Versa," says the film was partially inspired by his own story of personal pain from losing a child.

Malcon Pierce, the artistic director for "Versa," a short film with no dialogue that tells the story of "a young couple who experience a range of emotions, from grief and loss to ultimate love, joy and acceptance, as they embark on an ethereal ‘cosmic dance of life,’" according to IMDb, said he and his wife lost a child, which was an experience that shaped the film’s narrative.

"During the production of Moana (2016), my wife and I were expecting our son, Cooper, but we had some complications during the pregnancy, and he ultimately ended up passing away," Pierce told Deadline in an article published in December.

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The artistic director for Disney’s short, "Versa" says the film was partially inspired by his own story of personal pain from losing a child. (Getty Images)

"And this reset my wife and I in a very big way. I was just thinking about grief as this incredibly big and nearly impossible thing to get over," he said.

Pierce said that inspiration from the film came from infant loss groups where people share about how they have worked to process the loss of a child.

"I was inspired by the infant loss groups that my wife and I would go to," Pierce said. "There were a lot of people talking about how they were triggered by watching movies featuring pregnant characters. And there was a lot of conversation about grief within couples who deal with the situation differently — either one of you wants to talk about the issue, or you don’t."

Pierce said those discussions helped him recognize how common such experiences are for many.

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Malcon Pierce said that inspiration from the film came from infant loss groups where people share how they have worked to process the loss of a child. (iStock)

"So, I eventually saw that this is something a lot of couples go through, and wouldn’t it be cool to have something that can reflect an experience like that and maybe help them relate to one another?"

Pierce said that Disney’s Chris Buck suggested he read "Permission to Mourn: A New Way to Do Grief," by Tom Zuba.

"There’s a line in there that says, ‘Grief has a way of splitting you open,’" Pierce said. "And I was like, that’s the way to earn this moment. Mom and dad get split apart. And that was relatable to my own experience in a lot of ways."

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Malcon Pierce spoke with Deadline about his new short animated film, "Versa." (iStock)

"I had this idea that you could have a great loss and go through the steps of grief, and then you could start the next chapter," he added. "But that’s not true. What we learned is that grief is something that you learn to have a relationship with and you carry it with you. Over time, it becomes easier to carry, but it can also be very heavy, so I wanted to show this idea of wearing your scars proudly."

Fox News Digital reached out to The Walt Disney Company for comment.

Rachel del Guidice is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to rachel.delguidice@fox.com.

Disney director's loss of son inspired new wordless animated film 'Versa'