OpenAI pens $1B Disney deal to use its entire character catalog for AI videos

OpenAI and The Walt Disney Company just signed a deal that gives Sora full access to Disney’s massive catalog for a three‑year stretch, and both sides say the move will push new ways for people to make and share short videos.

The agreement makes Disney the first major studio to license content to Sora, and it also covers more than 200 characters across Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, plus their costumes, props, vehicles, and environments.

The companies said the deal lets Sora generate short social clips from user prompts. ChatGPT Images will also pull from the same catalog to turn short text into full images.

According to OpenAI’s press release, the agreement blocks the use of talent likenesses and voices. Disney is also becoming a major customer of OpenAI, with plans to use OpenAI’s APIs to build new tools and products for Disney+, and it will deploy ChatGPT for employees.

Disney will also invest $1 billion in equity in OpenAI and receive warrants that let it buy more shares later. Both companies said they are aligned on responsible use of AI and want to keep creators and users protected. The companies said the deal needs corporate and board approvals before closing.

Disney adds investment and internal adoption

Disney CEO Robert A. 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.”

He added that the company sees the rise of AI as a major shift and wants to work with OpenAI to “thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works.”

Iger said the partnership puts “imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans” by letting them connect with characters and stories in more personal ways.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said, “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.”

He said the agreement shows how tech firms and content companies can work together to support innovation, protect creative work, and bring material to new audiences.

Under the license, Disney+ subscribers will be able to watch curated groups of Sora‑generated videos.

Both companies will also work on features inside Disney+ that run on OpenAI’s models, adding that fans can expect Sora and ChatGPT Images to start generating videos with Disney’s licensed characters in early 2026.

Sora activates full character access across Disney brands

The companies listed the characters fans can use once the tools go live. The group includes Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, and Mufasa.

It also covers characters from Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, and Zootopia. On the Marvel and Lucasfilm side, fans will have access to animated or illustrated versions of Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers, and Yoda.

OpenAI said it will keep enforcing trust and safety rules as Sora and ChatGPT Images expand. The company committed to age‑appropriate controls and systems that block harmful or illegal content.

OpenAI and Disney also said they will maintain strong protection for content owners and individuals. The companies said this includes respecting rights tied to voices and likenesses and making sure the models cannot generate restricted outputs.

The companies said the partnership aims to support safe use while giving fans creative tools built directly on top of Disney’s catalog.

The agreement covers only the assets listed and does not extend beyond the licensed IP. Both sides said final documents will be negotiated before the deal closes.

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