Remembering Roger Allers: The Storytelling Genius Behind The Lion King

Roger Allers, the Oscar-nominated animated filmmaker who co-directed Disney's 1994 blockbuster hit "The Lion King," has died, the company's CEO announced. He was 76. Allers died Jan. 17 following "a short illness," a Walt Disney Animation Studios spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter and Animation Magazine. USA TODAY reached out to the studio and his family for additional information. Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke about Allers' death in a Jan. 18 social media post, calling the director a "creative visionary whose many contributions to Disney will live on for generations to come." "He understood the power of great storytelling — how unforgettable characters, emotion, and music can come together to create something timeless. His work helped define an era of animation that continues to inspire audiences around the world, and we are deeply grateful for everything he gave to Disney," Iger's statement read. Dave Bossert, a visual effects supervisor who worked with Allers on several Disney projects such as "The Lion King" and the 2006 animated short film "The Little Matchgirl," initially shared the news in a Jan. 18 Facebook post. "I am deeply saddened by the news that our friend Roger Allers has passed on to his next journey," Bossert wrote. He went on to remember Allers as an "extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance." "He was, without question, one of the kindest people you could hope to know and work alongside," Bossert added. "Roger treated everyone with genuine kindness and respect, regardless of title or position." Early in his career, Allers worked on visual development and conceptual designs for the first "Tron" film, released in 1982. He went on to become a mainstay in the story departments for Disney's major animated films, with credits for movies such as "Oliver & Company" (1988), "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), "Aladdin" (1992), "The Emperor's New Groove" (2000), and 2002's "Lilo & Stitch." In 1995, his directorial debut "The Lion King" – created alongside Rob Minkoff – won the best motion picture — musical or comedy trophy at the Golden Globes. At one point, the beloved film was the highest-grossing animated film of all time in the United States. A decade later, Allers received an Oscar nomination for 2006's "The Little Matchgirl." Before this, he and "Lion King" co-writer Irene Mecchi in 1998 earned a best book Tony Award nomination for their Broadway adaptation of the movie. "The idea of the hero’s journey has certainly been around longer than 'The Lion King,'" Allers told The News-Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2019. "These stories go back into mythology a long way. But it’s nice to be part of that tradition."