“A creative visionary”: Roger Allers, co-director of “The Lion King”, died at 76

The director and screenwriter of animated films, Roger Allers, co-director of “The Lion King”, died this Saturday at the age of 76, Disney CEO Robert Iger announced this Sunday evening on his Instagram account. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Roger Allers died suddenly at home after a short illness.

“Roger Allers was a creative visionary whose many contributions to Disney will be remembered for generations to come,” said Robert Iger.

“He understands the power of great stories”

“He understood the power of great stories (…) His work helped define an era of animation that continues to inspire audiences around the world, and we are deeply grateful to him for everything he brought to Disney,” added Robert Iger.

As spotted by Fox News, film producer Dave Bossert, with whom Roger Allers had frequently worked, lamented the loss of a “friend.” “We exchanged emails last week while he was traveling in Egypt, which makes this loss all the more unreal,” he added, speaking of an “artist” and an “extraordinarily dedicated filmmaker.”

In addition to “The Lion King” (1994), one of the biggest successes of the Disney studios, Roger Allers worked on several Disney classics such as “Tron”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin”.