The animation division of Walt Disney was in the doldrums throughout much of the 1980s. Among the figures who revitalised it was the director Roger Allers, who has died aged 76.
With Rob Minkoff, Allers co-directed The Lion King (1994), which took $979m worldwide and spawned a smash-hit stage musical, two sequels, a 2019 remake and a 2024 prequel. After the first film became a phenomenon, Allers “achieved almost mythic status on the Disney lot”, according to the entertainment writer Jim Hill.
