Writer/Director Jason Headley talks about SXSW and working at Pixar

The Staffa Corner

Jason Headley is a talented writer, director, and author. He recently co-wrote the Pixar film Onward featuring the voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, and is currently working on another yet to be announced Pixar film.
I met director Jason Headley in 2017 during South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. He was premiering his film A Bad Idea Gone Wrong starring Matt Jones, Will Rogers, and Eleanore Pienta. The comedy would go on to win a special jury award for best ensemble at the film festival. As I explain in this episode, It was a meeting that almost didn’t happen.
Despite all the pressures of attending SXSW and promoting a film, there was a peacefulness to Headley’s personality that I found captivating. His demeanor wasn’t what I expected from a Hollywood director. In a touching moment when posing for a photo, Pienta laid her head on Headley's shoulder. It was clear he created a comfortable environment for those around him. Perhaps it’s no surprise Headley wrote a self-help book titled F*ck That: An Honest Meditation.
Having loved the film and the corresponding interview, I continued to follow Headley’s career and was thrilled when it was announced he had co-written the Pixar film Onward. Unfortunately, the film’s release date of March 6, 2020 was the start of major events started shutting down due to Covid-19. The theatrical release was short-lived and by April 3 the film was available on Disney+. Thankfully, Headley is working on another project for Pixar and I can’t wait to learn more about this unannounced film.
Jason Headley is one of the nicest people I’ve had a chance to interview. And we’ve stayed in touch via social media in the years since. Early on I knew he was someone I wanted to have on The Staffa Corner. I am thrilled for his continued success and can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
You can check out his film A Bad Idea Gone Wrong here on Amazon Prime . His book F*ck That: An Honest Meditation is also available here on Amazon while Pixar’s Onward can be streamed on Disney+. You can check out my review of A Bad Idea Gone Wrong and interview here.