Roger Allers, the legendary animation director and co-director of Disney's landmark The Lion King, has died at the age of 76.
The news was confirmed on Sunday, leaving behind an indelible legacy in the film and animation industry.
He was one of the key architects of Disney's animation renaissance and contributed to some of animation's most beloved projects. His friends and colleagues have paid moving tributes, describing Allers as a "true pillar of Disney's animation renaissance."
Allers began his career at Disney as a story artist for films such as Tron and The Little Mermaid, before becoming one of the lead story directors for Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, a film that became one of the most successful and beloved in the history of animated cinema.
Through his work, Allers contributed to other projects such as Aladdin, Watership Down, The Emperor's New Groove, and Kung Fu Panda. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his animated short film The Little Matchgirl.
Allers was born in Rye, New York, and became fascinated with the world of film at the age of five after seeing Disney's Peter Pan. He pursued his passion for art by studying at Arizona State University and later joined Disney in the 1980s, where he became one of the lead story writers for some of the most beloved animated films.
Tributes to Allers have poured in from around the world, and fans of The Lion King are sharing their grief online, calling him "the greatest animated film director of all time."