Disney has come to an agreement with OpenAI Ranch to license its famous characters for the Sora video program.
The two companies made the announcement on Thursday, saying it is a 3-year license that covers 200 animated, masked and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. The deal does not include any voices.
“Alongside the licensing agreement, Disney will become a major customer of OpenAI, using its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+, and deploying ChatGPT for its employees,” Disney said in its announcement. 
The agreement also involves Disney making a $1 billion equity investment into OpenAI.
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“Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.
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“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,” he continued.
“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,” he added.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in turn hailed Disney as the “gold standard for storytelling” and said he hopes the partnership will lay the groundwork for how AI companies and creative companies can work together.
Under the license, users will be able to watch curated selections of Sora-generated videos on Disney+, and OpenAI and Disney will collaborate to utilize OpenAI’s models to power new experiences for Disney+ subscribers, according to the announcement.
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The launch for the new content is expected in early 2026, Disney says.
