Disney Legend Andreas Deja, one of the most celebrated animators behind Disney’s greatest villains, has shared new insight on working with Walt Disney Imagineering on the development of the upcoming Villains Land at Magic Kingdom.
From Animation Studio to Theme Park Design
Deja, best known as the supervising animator for Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), Jafar (Aladdin), and Scar (The Lion King), said joining the Villains Land project felt like a natural fit:
“I got the phone call and [they] said, ‘Hey, Andreas, would you like to be part of it?’ Yes, please.”
He explained that collaborating with Imagineers gives him the opportunity to bring the villains he knows so well into a new medium – an immersive land built on a “dramatic” scale.
Creating a World for Villains
According to Deja, the project aims to highlight villains in a bold, theatrical way:
“This is our own land. I worked with some of the guys at Imagineering. We’re going to amplify the way we see them – dramatic, with amazing lighting.”
He added that he loves the idea of creating a space where Disney’s most infamous characters can interact and even play off one another:
“Wouldn’t it be fun to see them being together, and what conversations would they have?”
Villains in Motion
Deja also shared insights from his animator’s perspective, describing how movement is central to defining a villain’s personality.
“When you start out on a character, you do a walk. The way you walk the character tells you a little bit about him or her. Gaston? That’s the guy at the gym, checking himself out in the mirror.”
On Scar, his first four-legged villain, Deja recalled a particularly memorable scene:
“Scar talks about the relationship between Simba and Mufasa, and he calls it a father-son thing that he doesn’t like. He’s disgusted by it. He needs to do something human, but it still has to look like a paw, not a hand.”
These subtle details, Deja explained, are part of what makes villains so compelling–and now, they will influence how Villains Land is realized in the parks.
“Familiar Turf” for a Disney Legend
For Deja, the new land feels like a homecoming.
“I’ve lived these bad guys for so long and studied them in my life. It’s familiar turf.”
Who better to consult on Villains coming to Magic Kingdom than @DisneyAnimation animator Andreas Deja ???? pic.twitter.com/6AwfbzQbuu
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) August 31, 2025
More details are expected during today’s “Disney Villains: Icons of Evil” panel at Destination D23.
