The Walt Disney Company has entered into a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI that will allow the tech company’s platform, Sora, to generate short, user-prompted videos using a defined set of intellectual property from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm.
As part of the deal, Sora will be permitted to produce fan-prompted short videos based on more than 200 animated, masked, and creature characters, along with costumes, props, vehicles, and environments from the four franchises. The agreement excludes the likenesses and voices of actors. A selection of these videos will be made available to stream on Disney+, where both companies plan to experiment with new formats for short-form content.
In addition to the licensing component, Disney will become a significant commercial customer of OpenAI. The company plans to use OpenAI’s APIs to build tools and products for Disney+ and other internal operations, and will also deploy ChatGPT for employee use. Alongside these initiatives, Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI and receive warrants to purchase additional equity.
Both companies have stated that the agreement includes shared commitments around safety, rights management, and responsible AI use. This includes controls intended to prevent the generation of harmful or illegal content, measures to protect the rights of creators and content owners, and policies governing the use of likeness and voice.
The deal is subject to final agreements, board approvals, and standard closing conditions. If completed as expected, Sora and ChatGPT Images will begin generating fan-inspired content using Disney’s licensed characters in early 2026. Characters available under the license include Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Simba and Mufasa, Ariel, Stitch, and figures from Encanto, Frozen, Moana, Inside Out, Zootopia and other franchises, as well as animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Star Wars characters including Iron Man, Black Panther, Loki, Groot, Darth Vader, Yoda and others.
Both companies indicate that the partnership will extend into technological collaboration for Disney+, where OpenAI’s models may be used to support interactive or personalized experiences for subscribers.
“Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world, said Robert A. Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works. Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s 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.”
“Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we’re excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content, said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI. 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.”
