The Walt Disney Company has struck a “landmark” three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI in which the studio will become the first major content partner for the Sora AI video generator. The deal will make more than 200 characters available from the Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars vaults. The companies announced that fan-inspired social videos are expected by early 2026, some of which will stream on Disney+. The Hollywood giant will also become an OpenAI customer, “using its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+, and deploying ChatGPT for its employees.” In addition, Disney is planning a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI.

Joining the “more than 200 animated, masked and creature characters” will be “costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments,” according to the press release, which provides several vertically-framed examples. “ChatGPT Images will be able to turn a few words by the user into fully generated images in seconds, drawing from the same intellectual property.”

However, the release points out that “the agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices.”

Sora, which launched in September, helps users create realistic, dynamic videos (typically 10-25 seconds in duration) by simply typing a prompt or inputting an image. “Users will also be able to draw on these characters while using ChatGPT Images, the feature in ChatGPT that allows users to create visuals using text prompts,” reports TechCrunch.

While the entertainment industry has expressed mixed responses to the use of AI tools, Deadline characterizes this deal as “comfortably the most significant collaboration between a Hollywood studio and an AI company to date, and suggests Disney has taken the view: if you can’t beat them, join them.”

Wired suggests the agreement “redefines the AI copyright war,” noting that Disney and OpenAI may have created “a blueprint for how AI and Hollywood can move forward.”

“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger, “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.”

OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman added the “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.”

Emphasizing the need for responsible use of AI, the companies “have affirmed a shared commitment to maintaining robust controls to prevent the generation of illegal or harmful content” and “to respect the rights of content owners in relation to the outputs of models.”

The release also explains “the companies will advance human-centered AI that respects the creative industries and expands what is possible for storytelling.”

Related:
Disney Agrees to Bring Its Characters to OpenAI’s Sora Videos, The New York Times, 12/11/25
Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAI and License Characters for Use in Sora, The Wall Street Journal, 12/11/25
Disney Is Investing $1 Billion in OpenAI and Licensing Its Characters for Sora, CNN, 12/11/25
ChatGPT Is Apple’s Most Downloaded App of 2025 in the U.S., TechCrunch, 12/10/25