BELOVED filmmaker Roger Allers, who co-directed the Disney masterpiece The Lion King, has reportedly died aged 76.
Tributes have poured in for the director, who was confirmed dead on Sunday.
Close friend and producer Dave Bossert posted a touching tribute, saying Allers had “passed on to his next journey”.
Bossert described Allers as a “true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance”.
The legendary director worked on films including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and Watership Down.
The tribute did not confirm when or how Allers died, but Bossert said he had been in contact with his friend “this past week”.
“I am deeply saddened by the news that our friend Roger Allers has passed on to his next journey,” he wrote.
“We were just trading emails this past week while he was traveling in Egypt, which makes this loss feel all the more unreal.
“Roger was an extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance. He began at Disney doing pre-production concepts for Tron,” he added.
The lengthy tribute detailed Allers’ journey in the industry.
“He then became a story artist on Oliver & Company and The Little Mermaid and other films, eventually becoming head of story on Beauty and the Beast,” he said.
“I had the privilege of being part of the crew with Roger on many films in the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s, 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.”
Bossert said Allers “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,” he said.
“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.”
Bossert finished the memorial post, recounting when he had been pictured with Allers at a 2016 Academy event, saying: “I always admired his colourful sports jackets”.
Allers was a decorated film director and writer, having worked on some of Disney’s most beloved films.
His resume includes Tron, The Prince and the Pauper, Ice Age, Kung Fu Panda, The Emperor’s New Groove, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Not only working on children’s films, he also lent a hand as a storyboard artist to Ted, a film starring a foul-mouthed teddy bear.
Tributes for the cherished director have poured in online.
According to Animation Magazine, Disney producer Don Hahn wrote: “Feeling shaken and sad to share that our dear friend and creative brother Roger Allers has passed – an extraordinary artist, a man who lived fully and generously, and someone I loved deeply; along with all of us who knew and worked with him,” he said.
“Please hold him and his family in your thoughts and let his spirit live on in you.”
On social media, others shared their memories of Allers.
Animator David Woodman said: “We have all been moved by his tremendous artwork and spirit. Roger Allers was one of my very favorite people. Jarring last night to see he has been missing.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger celebrated Allers’ contribution, saying he had been an influential “creative visionary”.
“Roger Allers was 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,” Iger said in a statement honouring the late filmmaker.
“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 sent condolences to Allers’ family, friends and collaborators.
Lion King fans have shared their dismay online as well, saying he was the “director of the greatest animated movie ever made”.
“RIP Roger’s Allers, thank you for giving us The Lion King,” one person posted.
Allers was born in Rye, New York, before spending much of his childhood in Glendale in Arizona.
At just five years old, he fell in love with the world of film after watching Disney’s 1953 movie Peter Pan for the first time.
After earning a degree in Fine Arts from Arizona State University, he reignited his love for animation when he took a class at Harvard.
First starting his career at Lisberger Studios in Boston, he worked on commercials as well as other projects, including Sesame Street.
He moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s, and contributed to the 1980 film Animalympics as a story artist and character designer.
Moving on to Disney two years later, he was the storyboard artist for the animated movie Tron, and later worked on The Little Mermaid.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for the animated short called The Little Matchgirl.
Allers did a brief stint in Tokyo, Japan, where he worked on character design, animation and story development for Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland.
Upon his return to the US, Allers was the storyboard artist for The Rescuers Down Under (1990) and The Prince And The Pauper (1990).
He was also the story supervisor for Beauty And The Beast (1991) and continued his work in the 2000s on projects such as Ice Age (2002), Brother Bear 2 (2006) and Kung Fu Panda (2008).