The Walt Disney Company has entered a major three-year partnership with OpenAI, unlocking the ability for the company’s fast-growing Sora video generator to create AI-powered clips featuring more than 200 beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars characters. The entertainment giant is also making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, signaling one of its most significant moves yet into generative AI technology.
Sora, launched in September, allows users to produce short, high-quality videos from simple text prompts. Under this new collaboration, the platform will now offer access to a vast library of animated characters, creatures, costumes, props, and vehicles from Disney’s extensive universe. The catalog spans generations—from Mickey Mouse and Cinderella to Moana, Baymax, and Simba—alongside visual variants of Marvel and Lucasfilm figures including Black Panther, Deadpool, Groot, Captain America, Darth Vader, and Stormtroopers.
The integration extends beyond Sora. Users will also be able to generate visuals featuring these characters through ChatGPT Images, the image-creation tool built directly into ChatGPT.
Disney emphasized that the partnership does not include the use of talent likenesses or actor voices, underscoring a commitment to copyright protection and creator rights. That caution reflects broader industry concerns, especially as studios and tech companies navigate new norms around AI-generated content.
In a statement, Disney CEO Bob Iger described the collaboration as a pivotal step for the media landscape. He noted that rapid advancements in AI represent “an important moment” for entertainment, adding that the company intends to expand the reach of its storytelling “thoughtfully and responsibly” while protecting the creative foundation behind its iconic brands.
Alongside the licensing agreement, Disney will become a major OpenAI customer, adopting its API tools to develop new consumer-facing products and experiences—potentially including interactive features for Disney+ and future digital platforms.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman framed the deal as a model for responsible innovation, highlighting how technology and creativity can align to reach global audiences in new ways.
The announcement also arrives against the backdrop of Disney’s recent disputes with AI platforms such as Midjourney and Character.AI over alleged misuse of its intellectual property. Despite previous legal action, the new partnership suggests a more open, structured strategy toward generative AI—one that allows controlled experimentation while reinforcing corporate guardrails.
Disney’s embrace of OpenAI marks a turning point for both companies, setting the stage for a new era where artificial intelligence and storytelling converge at unprecedented scale.