The Walt Disney Company has announced a sweeping partnership with OpenAI that will see it take a $1bn (€852mn) stake in the tech giant. The deal will notably allow cult Disney characters to appear in AI-generated short videos created through Sora, OpenAI’s generative video platform.
The licensing agreement marks the first time a major entertainment studio has licensed their intellectual property to a large-scale AI video tool.
“As part of this new, three-year licensing agreement, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing from a set of more than 200 animated, masked, and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, including costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments,” the company said in a statement on Thursday.
By formally licensing its characters to OpenAI, Disney sidesteps the intellectual property disputes that have dogged generative AI from day one and establishes a new revenue stream.
Sora will be able to turn a few words from the user into fully generated images in seconds, drawing from the same intellectual property. The agreement "does not include any talent likenesses or voices".
The companies framed the agreement as a major step towards establishing norms for safe and ethical AI deployment in entertainment.
“Under the agreement, Disney and OpenAI are affirming a shared commitment to the responsible use of AI that protects user safety and the rights of creators," the statement continued.
Disney chief executive Robert Iger said the collaboration would allow audiences to engage with the company’s stories in unprecedented ways.
"The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry... [this] groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before, giving them richer and more personal ways to connect with the Disney characters and stories they love," Iger said in the statement.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised the deal as an example of how AI and creative content producing companies can avoid pitting themselves against each other.
“This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences," he said in the statement.
Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to begin producing Disney-licensed fan content in early 2026, pending final approvals.
The deal may unsettle character actors, voice artists, and animators, signalling a future in which studios can generate whole scenes without the human performers and illustrators who once defined the craft.
Among the characters fans will be able to use in their creations are Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, and Ariel, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, and many more.
Iconic animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters from originally non-animated content like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, and Yoda will also be available.
