Roger Allers, the creative force behind The Lion King, dies at 76

Roger Allers, the filmmaker who played a key role in shaping Disney’s animation revival of the 1990s, has died at the age of 76.

Best known as the co-director of The Lion King, one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, Allers was also involved in several other landmark Disney productions, including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under and The Emperor’s New Groove.

The news was shared by his longtime friend and former Disney artist Dave Bossert, who announced Allers’ death in a social media post. Bossert said the two had exchanged emails just days earlier while Allers was travelling in Egypt, describing him as “an extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker” and “a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance”.

Born on June 29, 1949, in Rye, New York, Allers grew up in Arizona and studied fine arts at Arizona State University. He began his career working on educational television, including Sesame Street, before moving into animation and visual effects during the late 1970s and 1980s. His early credits included Tron and Animalympics.

Allers later joined Disney as a storyboard artist, gradually rising through the ranks to become a director. His defining achievement came in 1994 with The Lion King, co-directed with Rob Minkoff. The film earned critical acclaim, won multiple awards and continues to influence popular culture decades after its release.

Beyond film, Allers also wrote the book for the Broadway stage adaptation of The Lion King, which went on to win a Tony Award and become one of the longest-running and most successful stage productions in theatre history.

After leaving Disney, he continued working in animation and film, contributing to projects such as Open Season and The Prophet.

Roger Allers is survived by his former wife, Leslee Hackenson, and their two children, Leah and Aidan.