Walt Disney Animation Studios will release its first theatrical short for the first time in 5 years with Us Again!

It’s inspired by a personal time in Director Zach Parrish’s life when the effects of aging were hitting him particularly hard. Parrish turned to his mother for guidance and a conversation about life. Parrish quickly realized he was looking at life completely wrong and the idea for Us Again was born.

I kinda had my priorities wrong. I was looking in the wrong direction, and-and if I’m always looking in the past, then I’m gonna miss the beauty in the now. And so that idea of youth being a state of mind really got my gears turning, and I really thought it’d be fun to do a fountain of youth story.

Set in a vibrant city (reminiscent of New York City), Us Again tells the story of an elderly man, Art, and his young-at-heart wife, Dot. They eventually rekindle their passion for life, and each other, on one rainy, magical night. It’s influenced by Disney’s rich history of using dance as a storytelling medium. Parrish not only wanted Us Again to be a fountain of youth story but also told without any dialogue. That’s right! The entire story is told in a silent film-esque fashion. Complete with an original funk and soul musical score reminiscent of the 60s. 

After seeing a stunning interpretive dance video with impeccable storytelling online, he knew that dancer/choreographers Keone and Mari were his dream team to bring this story to life.

We’re very detail-oriented in our choreography. Like, really nitpicky detail-oriented people and the animators just did such a beautiful job of paying attention to all of those things and capturing them, and it was just beautiful. Beautiful to see it and honored, and [it’s] very overwhelming.

Mari

Us Again releases theatrically on March 5th alongside Raya and the Last Dragon. Both are coming to Disney+ in June. They’re sure to warm your heart, and share it’s message loud and clear. We can’t move forward while constantly looking back.

So, are you excited to see Us Again?

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