ZariusTwo
12-11-2025, 10:18 AM
Disney has put its chips in on AI.
The Hollywood giant has signed a major deal with OpenAI, investing $1B in the artificial intelligence giant and handing over characters from Frozen and Star Wars to generative AI video app Sora.
It is 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.
The three-year licensing agreement will allow Sora users to create bespoke fan videos with the likes of Captain America, Yoda, and Moana. A selection of these videos will stream on Disney+, which the company hinted at during an earnings call last month.
Sora 2, the most sophisticated iteration of the app, caused outrage among rights holders when it launched in October. It adopted an opt-out policy, meaning IP was usable on the app until a rights holder issued a removal request.
Disney is now opting in — and in a big way. It is the first major content licensing partner on Sora, which enables users to create short-form videos with text prompts.
Disney will also become a major OpenAI customer, using its tech to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+, and deploying ChatGPT for its employees. The deal does not, however, allow OpenAI to train its machine learning models on Disney IP.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said: “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world.
“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.”
https://deadline.com/2025/12/disney-openai-deal-sora-1236645728/
The Hollywood giant has signed a major deal with OpenAI, investing $1B in the artificial intelligence giant and handing over characters from Frozen and Star Wars to generative AI video app Sora.
It is 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.
The three-year licensing agreement will allow Sora users to create bespoke fan videos with the likes of Captain America, Yoda, and Moana. A selection of these videos will stream on Disney+, which the company hinted at during an earnings call last month.
Sora 2, the most sophisticated iteration of the app, caused outrage among rights holders when it launched in October. It adopted an opt-out policy, meaning IP was usable on the app until a rights holder issued a removal request.
Disney is now opting in — and in a big way. It is the first major content licensing partner on Sora, which enables users to create short-form videos with text prompts.
Disney will also become a major OpenAI customer, using its tech to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+, and deploying ChatGPT for its employees. The deal does not, however, allow OpenAI to train its machine learning models on Disney IP.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said: “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world.
“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.”
https://deadline.com/2025/12/disney-openai-deal-sora-1236645728/