he demanded creative control over the project which then-studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg was unwilling to give. He also directed a Mickey Mouse short, which was shown at the Disney-MGM Studios, titled Mickey's Audition (1992). Eager to direct a live-action film, Minkoff was handed the script for a feature-length Roger Rabbit sequel, and was hired to develop the project. However, after a year in development, the project was cancelled. On April 1, 1992, he became the co-director for The Lion King (1994) alongside Roger Allers. On the film, the directorial process began with several sequences divided between Allers and Minkoff. Each director brought their own vision to the sequences, but there was a constant exchange of viewpoints to better ensure a stylistic uniformity. In a 2011 interview, Minkoff stated he had directed the "Circle of Life" sequence while Allers directed the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" sequence. In January 1995, it was reported he was to direct an untitled "fantasy feature" film that was meant to be his first live-action project. The project went unproduced, in which Minkoff explained: "I had told Jeffrey [Katzenberg] before he left Disney that I wanted to do a live-action picture, and he was trying to get me to commit to doing an animated picture before that ...We were in the middle of figuring out what was the right step to take when he resigned [in 1994]." Not long after, he worked briefly with Robert Zemeckis on a film project with Universal Pictures and a version of Mr. Popper's Penguins with producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. In 1997, Minkoff re-teamed with them on a film adaptation of Into the Woods for Columbia Pictures. When development had stalled, Minkoff learned from the studio's production head about Stuart Little, and after subsequently reading M. Night Shyamalan's script, he agreed to direct. In 1998, Sony Pictures had announced Minkoff was directing Stuart Little (1999). Principal photography had spanned 12 weeks before wrapping in mid-November 1998. Released in December 1999, Stuart Little was a commercial success, grossing $300 million worldwide. In November 2000, Minkoff, along with his producing partner Jason Clark, had signed a three-year first-look deal at Columbia Pictures, in which he also agreed to direct the sequel, Stuart Little 2 (2002). Soon after, Minkoff was attached to direct a live-action Jetsons film and a remake of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which both went unproduced. In 2002,