Upon reading reports about the death of Roger Allers, the first thing that came to mind was the opening sequence of The Lion King, that alludes to the “Circle of Life”. This is arguably one of the most iconic moments in cinema history. It’s strange to think about a guy just sitting at a desk in Glendale, scratching out drawings to figure out a perspective or a line of action, not realising that those very drawings would eventually make an entire generation and their parents collectively hold their breath. It’s always a bit of a gut punch when you realise the person behind a huge chunk of your childhood sense of wonder has passed.
The death of Allers was confirmed by visual effects veteran and friend Dave Bossert via Facebook. “I am deeply saddened by the news that our friend Roger Allers has passed on to his next journey,” wrote Bossert, who’d been speaking with Allers in recent weeks as the animator travelled in Egypt, just days before he died on Saturday at the age of 76. Losing Roger Allers, felt like losing one of the architects of how I view storytelling. It’s easy to look at his credits and see a “Disney Veteran,” but if you look closer, Allers was more of a quiet soul who happened to be at the centre of a storm. There’s something beautiful and a bit heartbreaking in this. The animator was still out there exploring the world, probably looking at things with the same curiosity he brought to his films, right up until the end. He apparently died after a “short illness” at his home in Santa Monica. One minute you’re exploring ancient ruins, the next, the industry is writing your obituary. It’s a jarring reminder of how quickly things shift.
When you look at his career, it’s basically a roadmap of the Disney Renaissance. He wasn’t just “the guy who did The Lion King.” He was in the trenches for almost every heavy hitter of that era. He was the head of story for Beauty and the Beast. The first animated film to actually get a Best Picture nod. He also worked on the storyboards for The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. He even helped with the early concepts for TRON back in ’82.
Bob Iger and other Disney veterans have been putting out the usual statements calling him a “creative visionary,” and for once, that doesn’t feel like corporate fluff. If you grew up with these movies, Allers fingerprints are on the scenes that probably made you cry or feel like the world was a lot bigger than your living room. He also wrote the book for the Broadway adaptation of The Lion King, which is still a juggernaut today.
Beyond the Disney, he did some really interesting, more “indie” feeling projects later on, like the anthology film The Prophet and the Oscar-nominated short The Little Matchgirl. Even after his massive success of the nineties he continued relentlessly. He seemed to genuinely care about the craft, even when the projects were smaller or more experimental.
The general sentiment from those who knew him, like co-director Rob Minkoff and producer Don Hahn, complement both his talent and his temperament. They’ve described him as one of the kindest people in a high-pressure industry. Someone who never let the success go to his head. It’s a big loss.
He’s survived by his two children, Leah and Aidan. Interestingly, Leah is currently working on a documentary about his life, so we’ll likely get a much deeper look at his creative process and personal story soon. It feels right that his daughter is the one to tell the final version of his story.
