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Roger Allers, a veteran Disney filmmaker who co-directed the original \u201cThe Lion King,\u201d died Saturday. He was 76. <\/p>\n
The Academy Award-nominated director\u2019s decades-spanning work at Disney also included turns as a writer, storyboard artist and animator for beloved films such as \u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d and \u201cAladdin.\u201d <\/p>\n
Allers\u2019 death was announced by his colleague Dave Bossert, a former Disney animator.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoger was an extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance,\u201d Bossert wrote Sunday on Facebook<\/a>. <\/p>\n Bossert described his longtime collaborator as \u201cone of the kindest people you could hope to know and work alongside.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoger had a joyful, luminous spirit, and the world is dimmer without him,\u201d Bossert wrote. \u201cRest in peace, my friend. Until we meet again on the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger also paid tribute to the director, whom he called \u201ca creative visionary whose many contributions to Disney will live on for generations to come.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201c[Allers] understood the power of great storytelling \u2014 how unforgettable characters, emotion, and music can come together to create something timeless,\u201d Iger said Sunday in a statement on Instagram<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cHis 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,\u201d the executive wrote. <\/p>\n Allers\u2019 tenure at Disney began more than 40 years ago, when he worked on the storyboard team for the sci-fi thriller \u201cTron\u201d (1982). He went on to play \u201ca pivotal role in the Disney Animation renaissance of the late \u201880s and throughout the \u201890s,\u201d Walt Disney Animation Studios wrote Tuesday in a social media post<\/a>. <\/p>\n The entertainment multihyphenate\u2019s crown achievement came in 1994, when he and \u201cThe Lion King\u201d co-director Rob Minkoff brought to life the movie that former Times film critic Justin Chang referred to as \u201cone of Disney\u2019s biggest gambles.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThe Lion King\u201d boasted an estimated $42-million<\/a> domestic opening weekend, the studio\u2019s largest ever at the time. It is still the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time. <\/p>\n Allers \u2014 born in 1949 in Rye, N.Y. \u2014 looked back on the film\u2019s success in 2011, telling The Times<\/a> that it \u201cgave an opportunity for a lot of young animators who hadn\u2019t had a chance to lead a character. So they were fired up to do a good job \u2014 it was quite an inclusive and creative circle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone was listened to,\u201d Allers said. \u201cWhen it came to fruition and everyone could see the message it was putting out and the heart the movie had that went on to be embraced by the audience … it was very gratifying. I am still kind of overwhelmed by the response.\u201d<\/p>\n Allers is survived by his children, Leah and Aidan, and his partner, Genaro, according to the Hollywood Reporter<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n