Disney $1B OpenAI Sora Deal Licences 200+ Characters — Fans' Creative Power Surge

Disney's recent dab into artificial intelligence (AI) with OpenAI marks a major milestone for Disney, and a significant shift in the interactions fans have with Disney characters.

On 11 December 2025, Disney announced the three-year, $1B (£746.8) equity investment and licensing agreement with OpenAI. In the agreement, Disney gives OpenAI's video generation platform, Sora, access to over 200 Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars elements (including characters), permitting the app to create short, user-prompted social videos fans can watch and share. Both companies announced the licensing deal.

The agreement further states that a selection of these short form videos from fans will be featured on Disney+, Disney's premium streaming platform. Fans will be able to bring favourite characters such as Mickey Mouse, Elsa, and Spiderman, to life and use their imaginations.

The post from The Walt Disney Company's official website shares a statement by Sam Altman, OpenAI co-founder and CEO: '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'.

Altman continues, 'This 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'.

Disney Fans: Fueled Creativity

With Sora, Walt Disney fans can generate short videos simply by using text instructions, giving them a taste of interactive storytelling within seconds.

For fans, this is more than just storytelling. Being able to showcase their creativity and blend it seamlessly with their favourite characters in official Disney materials highlights a major milestone in both AI and entertainment industries. The chance to have their work curated on Disney+ is a different story altogether.

Limitations have also been set in place, highlighting how Disney plans to safeguard the rights of their key performers, with both companies acknowledging keeping strong safety systems in place. Sora and ChatGPT will be barred from generating harmful or illegal content.

What's Ahead

OpenAI and Disney will be rolling out the features early 2026, in which Sora's access to Disney's vast library that will continue to expand, will allow users to start getting creative with the content they generate. This $1 billion partnership shows fans how AI is shaping the future of entertainment. Being able to engage with characters makes for a personalised, hands-on experience and changes how Disney fans will view the stories they grew up with.

Disney's commitment to responsible AI use creates an invisible protective barrier against unfair use of materials, including voice and any likeness to the characters, not just for the company, but also for the users across the globe.

The Walt Disney Company CEO Robert A. Iger says on the official Walt Disney website's announcement of the merger, 'Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world'.

He goes on to say, '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'.

This momentous agreement between two of the biggest names in entertainment and technology gives fans tools that can fuel their creativity and let their imaginations run wild.