Roger Allers, the Disney Animation filmmaker known for The Lion King, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and more, has died. He was 76.
Producer and frequent collaborator Dave Bossert shared the news of Allers’ death in a statement on Sunday morning. “I am deeply saddened by the news that our friend Roger Allers has passed on to his next journey,” he started in the Facebook post.
“We were just trading emails this past week while he was traveling in Egypt, which makes this loss feel all the more unreal,” added Bossert. “Roger was an extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance.”
Bossert noted that Allers got his start at Disney as part of the storyboard team on Tron (1982), also working on Oliver & Company (1988) and The Little Mermaid (1989) before becoming head of story on Beauty and the Beast (1991).
“I had the privilege of being part of the crew with Roger on many films in the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s,” noted Bossert. “And he was, without question, one of the kindest people you could hope to know and work alongside. He went on to co-direct The Lion King, a phenomenal success, yet it never went to his head.
‘The Lion King’ co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff (Photo by Chris Polk/FilmMagic)
“Roger treated everyone with genuine kindness and respect, regardless of title or position. I worked very closely with him on The Little Matchgirl, and it was nothing short of a joy—he carried a sense of wonder, generosity, and enthusiasm that lifted everyone around him. Roger had a joyful, luminous spirit, and the world is dimmer without him. Rest in peace, my friend. Until we meet again on the other side,” he added.
Born June 29, 1949 in Rye, New York, Allers grew up in Arizona, where he received a fine arts degree from Arizona State University before getting a job with Lisberger Studios, working on Sesame Street and other projects.
Allers relocated to Los Angeles to work on the 1980 animated feature Animalympics with director Steven Lisberger, before working on Tron. He also spent time in Tokyo while working on Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989).
Upon his 1985 return to LA, Allers got his start with Disney as a storyboard artist on films like Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under and The Prince and The Pauper, before serving as a co-director with Rob Minkoff on The Lion King (1994), earning them the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. Allers also wrote The Lion King‘s 1998 Tony-winning Broadway adaptation.
Also during his Disney tenure, Allers worked on The Emperor’s New Groove, Lilo & Stitch and The Little Matchgirl. He then co-directed Open Season with Jill Culton for Sony, also helming 2014’s The Prophet.
Allers is survived by ex-wife Leslee Hackenson, their daughter Leah and son Aidan.
