Disney has signed a major three-year licensing deal with OpenAI that allows more than 200 of its iconic animated characters to appear in AI-generated videos created with Sora. Alongside the agreement, Disney is taking a one-billion-dollar equity stake in OpenAI, marking its most deliberate move yet into generative media.
The pact gives Sora users the ability to create short AI videos featuring characters ranging from Mickey Mouse and Cinderella to Simba, Stitch and other modern favourites. Disney plans to showcase curated Sora-generated clips on its own streaming platforms, while ChatGPT will be deployed internally to support teams across the company.
The arrangement, however, comes with firm limitations. Disney is licensing characters, not the people who voice or portray them. That means Sora cannot reproduce the likeness or voice of Tom Hanks as Woody, or any other actor tied to Disney franchises. OpenAI is also prohibited from using Disney films or TV content to train its models, a line Disney has been increasingly protective of as seen in its recent cease-and-desist letter to Google over alleged unauthorised training.
Disney says strict guardrails are built into the agreement to prevent misuse or distortions of its characters. According to CEO Bob Iger, the company wants to explore new storytelling formats powered by AI while safeguarding its intellectual property and protecting the work of its creative teams. He described Sora as a controlled and “safe environment” for experimenting with Disney’s catalogue.
The partnership mirrors Disney’s earlier collaboration with Epic Games, which brought Disney characters into Fortnite and other shared entertainment spaces. By taking a substantial equity stake in OpenAI, Disney is signalling that it views generative AI as a long-term pillar of its strategy.
Reactions across the industry remain mixed. The Writers Guild of America criticised the deal, arguing that AI companies have trained on creative work without consent and that Disney is legitimising practices still under dispute. Media groups continue to balance interest in AI partnerships with ongoing lawsuits and negotiations over copyright protections.
Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to begin generating Disney character videos in early 2026, setting the stage for a new form of fan interaction — one shaped as much by corporate guardrails as by creative experimentation.
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