Roger Allers, the Disney film-maker who co-directed the 1994 classic The Lion King, has died at the age of 76. His death was announced on social media by colleague Dave Bossert, who remembered Allers as “an extraordinarily gifted artist and film-maker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance”.
Allers co-directed The Lion King with Rob Minkoff, and the film remains the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time. It was also the highest-grossing film of 1994 and temporarily the second-highest-grossing film ever, behind Jurassic Park. The film won the Golden Globe for best motion picture musical or comedy.
Born in New York in 1949 but raised in Arizona, Allers became a fan of animation at age five after seeing Disney’s Peter Pan. He began his Disney career on Tron (1982) as part of the storyboard team, and later worked as a storyboard artist on Oliver & Company (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989) and The Rescuers Down Under (1990). He became head of story on Beauty and the Beast (1991) and worked on Aladdin (1992).
After The Lion King, Allers co-wrote the Tony-winning Broadway adaptation with Irene Mecchi, which continues to be performed worldwide. He also worked on Lilo & Stitch and contributed to the story of The Emperor’s New Groove. Later, he co-directed Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature film, Open Season, with Jill Culton.
Disney CEO Bob Iger paid tribute, calling Allers “a creative visionary whose many contributions to Disney will live on for generations to come”. Bossert described him as “one of the kindest people you could hope to know … he carried a sense of wonder, generosity, and enthusiasm that lifted everyone around him”.
