
Disney and OpenAI have agreed for the studio to become the first major content licensing partner on their short-form generative AI video platform, Sora, bringing over 200 masked, animated or creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars.
It’s the first instance of Disney licensing its intellectual property to an AI platform. As part of the three-year licensing agreement, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans from a set of more than 200 masked, animated or creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, including costumes, props, vehicles and “iconic environments.” In addition, ChatGPT Images will be able to turn “a few words” typed in by a user into fully generated images “in seconds,” drawing from the same intellectual property.
As part of the deal, Disney will make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI, and receive warrants to purchase additional equity. The companies said that investment is subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, required corporate and board approvals, and customary closing conditions. Of course, the billion dollars from Disney is a drop in the bucket for OpenAI, which reportedly is now valued at $500 billion.
The OpenAI deal “gives us an opportunity to play a part in what really is breathtaking, breathtaking growth,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Disney said the agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices. Furthermore, the pact does not allow OpenAI to use Disney intellectual property in the training of its AI models, nor does it link Sora user accounts with any Disney accounts (including Disney+).
Among the characters fans will be able to use in their AI-generated creations are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba and Mufasa, as well as characters from movies and franchises including “Encanto,” “Frozen,” “Inside Out,” “Moana,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Toy Story,” “Up” and “Zootopia.” Also included under the pact are animated and illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers and Yoda.
Alongside the licensing agreement, Disney will become a “major customer” of OpenAI, using the AI company’s application programming interfaces (APIs) to build new products, tools and experiences, including for Disney+. Disney also will deploy ChatGPT for use by its employees.
On Disney+, users will be able to watch curated selections of Sora-generated videos. Also, OpenAI and Disney will collaborate to use OpenAI’s models to “power new experiences for Disney + subscribers, furthering innovative and creative ways to connect with Disney’s stories and characters.” Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to start generating fan-inspired videos with Disney’s licensed characters in early 2026.
Iger, in what now appears to be a preview of his huge deal with OpenAI, spoke enthusiastically on the company’s earnings call last month about the potential for AI to boost engagement on Disney+. “AI is going to give us the ability to do is to provide users at Disney+ with a much more engaged experience, including the ability for them to create user generated content and to consume user generated content, mostly short form from others.”
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