Linda began her career by writing scripts for Saturday morning animated television shows. This eventually led her to writing her first animated feature, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Upon its release in 1991, the film won the Golden Globe for the Best Comedy/Musical and became the first animated film to be nominated by for a Best Picture Academy Award.
Woolverton was then hired to write the screenplay for The Lion King for which she shares screenplay credit.
She then rewrote the script for Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey as well as contributing to the animated feature Mulan.
She went on to adapt the script of Beauty and the Beast for the Broadway stage and received the Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical in 1994. Woolverton was also awarded the Laurence Oliver Award for Beauty and the Beast for Best New Musical in the U.K. Beauty and the Beast ran in New York between 1994 and 2007, becoming the sixth longest running show in Broadway history.
She also wrote the Book for Elton John and Tim Rice’s Musical Aida which ran for five years at the Palace Theatre.
     In 2008, Linda received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Writers Guild of America-Animation Writers Caucus for her longtime work in the field of animation.    
     Woolverton’s script for Alice In Wonderland directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, was released in March of 2010. The film grossed over one billion dollars worldwide. 
     Woolverton went on to write the screenplay for Disney's Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie. The film was released in May of 2014 and became a worldwide success.
She has recently completed the sequel.
     Woolverton is currently writing an animated fantasy for Skydance Media.