Donald Iwerks, pioneering Disney camera and projection engineer, dies aged 96
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Donald Iwerks, the Disney camera and projection engineer who co-founded Iwerks Entertainment, has died at the age of 96. Variety reports that he died on 9 July 2026, and Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro paid tribute in a statement, praising Iwerks's "rare combination of heart, ingenuity, and passion" and his contributions to some of the company's most iconic films and attractions. The eldest son of Mickey Mouse co-creator Ub Iwerks, Donald spent more than six decades pioneering projection technology, 3D and large-format filmmaking, and immersive attractions that reshaped how audiences experience stories.
Born on 24 July 1929 and raised in Southern California, Iwerks joined Disney's Studio Machine Shop in 1952, where the self-taught engineer worked alongside his father to develop cameras, optical printers and special-effects systems, including the original Circle-Vision camera and refinements to the sodium travelling matte process used in "Mary Poppins". He later co-founded Iwerks Entertainment with former Disney executive Stan Kinsey, building a company whose giant-screen theatres, motion simulators and 3D experiences were installed in nearly 300 venues across 38 countries. His credits also included the 3D camera system for "Captain EO", while his original hand casts for the Abraham Lincoln Audio-Animatronics figure became a Disney standard known as the "Iwerks Hands". His honours included the Academy's Gordon E. Sawyer Award, a Scientific and Technical Award, the Themed Entertainment Association Lifetime Achievement Award, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and recognition as a Disney Legend in 2009.
- Disney engineer Donald Iwerks has died aged 96.
- He pioneered Circle-Vision, 3D and giant-screen projection technology.
- Named a Disney Legend in 2009; son of Ub Iwerks.
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Donald Iwerks was a Disney engineer who spent decades working on the technical side of film and theme park attractions, from cameras to 3D systems to giant-screen projection. He was the son of Ub Iwerks, who co-created Mickey Mouse, and followed his father into Disney's engineering workshops in the 1950s. His work touched several well-known Disney productions and rides, and he later set up his own company supplying similar technology to venues worldwide.
His career spanned traditional filmmaking techniques, such as special-effects work on "Mary Poppins", through to modern immersive attractions using 3D and motion simulation. After decades at Disney, he co-founded Iwerks Entertainment, which installed giant-screen theatres and 3D experiences in hundreds of venues across dozens of countries, extending his influence well beyond the Disney studio itself.
He is being remembered now following news of his death at 96, with tributes from Disney figures highlighting his contribution to the technical craft behind some of the company's most recognised films and attractions.
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Originally published by Variety as “Donald Iwerks, Disney Camera Technician and Co-Founder of Iwerks Entertainment, Dies at 96”.