His Work for Disney 'Will Live on for Generations'

Roger Allers, the animation veteran who steered Disney's The Lion King to blockbuster status, has died at 76. A spokesperson for Disney Animation said Allers died suddenly Saturday at his Santa Monica home after a brief illness, per the Hollywood Reporter. Born in 1949 in Rye, New York, he studied fine arts at Arizona State University before working on Sesame Street animations at Lisberger Studios, per Deadline. His early interest in animation ultimately led him into some of Disney's most influential projects, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Oliver & Company, The Rescuers Down Under, and 1982's Tron, one of the earliest major films to rely heavily on computer-generated imagery.

Allers co-directed 1994's The Lion King with Rob Minkoff, his first feature directing credit. The film became the year's top box office performer, taking in nearly $979 million worldwide in its initial run and helping define Disney's animation resurgence of the late 1980s and early 1990s. His work extended beyond the screen: Allers co-wrote the book for the Broadway adaptation of The Lion King with Irene Mecchi, earning a Tony nomination in 1998. He later co-directed Sony's Open Season (2006), wrote and directed the animated feature The Prophet (2015), adapted from Kahlil Gibran's work, and received an Oscar nomination for the animated short The Little Matchgirl. His additional credits ranged from Watership Down to Ted.

"Roger Allers was a creative visionary whose many contributions to Disney will live on for generations to come," Disney CEO Bob Iger said, praising his understanding of "the power of great storytelling." Producer Dave Bossert, who worked with Allers on numerous projects, said he was "an extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance" and "one of the kindest people you could hope to know and work alongside." In a written tribute, Lion King producer Don Hahn called Allers "the rarest of people: endlessly curious, playful and deeply human, always eager to tell stories that reminded us of the wonder in life." Allers is survived by his children, Leah and Aidan, and his partner, Genaro.