Don Hahn

A major player in the Hollywood animation "renaissance" of the 1990s, veteran Disney staffer Don Hahn oversaw the production of two landmark animated features: "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) and "The Lion King" (1994). The former alerted the industry to both the commercial and artistic possibilities of the medium as it amassed rapturous reviews and over $145 million in box-office receipts. "Beauty and the Beast" also became the first animated feature to garner an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Only marginally less acclaimed, "The Lion King" achieved even greater success in the marketplace with domestic receipts totaling around $340 million, making it not only Disney's biggest hit but also as of 1996) the fifth highest grossing box-office champ. Intimately involved in each aspect of his films--ranging from scripting to music to color to performance--Hahn has emerged as Disney's ace producer of animated features.