Roger Allers, co-director of Disney’s 1994 animated blockbuster The Lion King and co-writer of its hit Broadway musical adaptation, died January 17 at the age of 76. His exact cause of death remains pending. The news was confirmed by representatives of Disney Theatrical.

Mr. Allers dreamed of a career in animation from a young age, studying Fine Arts at Arizona State University and at Harvard University. In the 1970s, he began his animation career alongside a then-fledgling animation director named Steven Lisberger, whose projects included Sesame Street and The Electric Company. Mr. Allers' work with Lisberger Studios would bring him from Boston to Los Angeles, where he soon became enmeshed in the Hollywood Animation scene, including Walt Disney Studios.

In 1980, Mr. Allers worked as a concept designer on the computer-animated feature Tron, and it was his artwork that was used in the pitch that sold the idea for the film to Disney. In 1985, he formally joined Walt Disney Animation Studios full time, serving as head of story on Oliver & Company. While the film was a success, it would pale in comparison to what was to come.

Mr. Allers served on the story team for the defining films of the Disney Renaissance, including The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, and Beauty and the Beast, for which he supervised the story team in his role as head of story. In 1991, he was selected to lead a then-nascent project called King of the Jungle. He and the creative team traveled to Kenya on a research trip where he immersed himself as much as possible, learning a portion of the Swahili language, including the now-iconic phrase "Hakuna Matata." 

Upon his return, Mr. Allers was promoted to co-director of what we now know as The Lion King, alongside fellow Disney animator Rob Minkoff. With music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, and headed by producer Don Hahn, the film became the top-grossing feature at the global box office for 1994. It held the title of box office king and was the all-time biggest animated feature for 10 years, until 2004. The Lion King remains one of the most beloved animated features of all time, and the success of the film launched a multibillion-dollar franchise for the Walt Disney Company.

For the 1997 debut of the stage musical adaptation of The Lion King, Disney Theatrical Group, under the creative direction of Thomas Schumacher and Peter Schneider, teamed Mr. Allers with screenwriter Irene Mecchi to write the libretto. The production went on to win six Tony Awards (including Best Musical) in 1998, and continues to play to huge crowds all over the world. For his work, Mr. Allers received a Tony nomination for Best Book of a Musical.

Following The Lion King, Mr. Allers devoted his time to developing an animated project called Kingdom of the Sun. While Mr. Allers would leave the project halfway through its challenging development period, The Emperor’s New Groove still owes much of its eventual success to Mr. Allers’ contributions.

Mr. Allers directed the 2006 Oscar nominated animated short The Little Matchgirl. His directing credits outside of Disney include Open Season for Sony Pictures Animation, and the 2014 independent feature The Prophet, based on the writings of Kahlil Gibran. In recent years, Mr. Allers was working on an original stage musical called The Grasshopper, based on the colorful life and legend of storyteller Jean de la Fontaine. Mr. Allers wrote the book and lyrics in collaboration with his husband, acclaimed composer and concert pianist Genaro Pereira, who wrote the music. The show has had several workshop readings, and a 2023 performance in Los Angeles.

Mr. Allers is survived by his husband, his ex-wife Leslee Hackenson, and he and Hackenson's two children, Leah and Aidan. His family is making plans for a life celebration, which will be announced at a future date.