Donald Iwerks, son of Mickey Mouse co-creator Ub Iwerks, whose groundbreaking innovations transformed cinematic storytelling and immersive entertainment, passed away on July 9. He was 96.
Iwerks spent over six deacdes on projects for The Walt Disney Company, along with his own studio, Iwerks Entertainment. Don pioneered innovations in projection technology, 3D and large-format filmmaking, and immersive attractions that changed how audiences experience stories.
Among his innovations were pioneering Circle-Vision films and the 3D camera system for “CaptainEO” to giant-screen theaters and motion simulator attractions, his work helped shape the future of location-based entertainment while inspiring generations of filmmakers, Imagineers, and inventors.
To fans, Iwerks was known as the model for the hands of the Abraham Lincoln Audio-Animatronics figure in Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland.
Those original hand casts became a standard for Disney’s Audio-Animatronics figures, earning the nickname the “Iwerks Hands” and appearing on many similar figures in Disney parks around the world.
