The Walt Disney Co. is making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI following a major deal where both companies commit to the responsible use of AI that protects user safety and creator rights.
Announced by both companies on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, the three-year licensing deal aims to advance human-centered AI and respectful storytelling by bringing Disney characters into Sora, OpenAI’s text-to-video model that generates realistic, animated videos from text descriptions.
“Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world,” Robert A. Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Co., said in a statement.
“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.
Which Characters Are Included In The Disney OpenAI Deal?
Through this partnership — which makes Disney the first major content licensing partner on Sora — the model will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that fans can view and share, drawing on more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters, as well as costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments, notes the news release. ChatGPT Images will also turn just a few user-provided words into entirely generated images within seconds.
Available characters include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel and animated or illustrated heroes and villains such as Black Panther, Captain America, Iron Man, Darth Vader, and Yoda.
As part of the deal, Disney will receive warrants to purchase additional equity, per the news release. The entertainment conglomerate will also become an OpenAI customer, using its APIs to develop new products, tools, and experiences — including enhancements for Disney+ — and will deploy ChatGPT internally for employees.
“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,” Iger added in the release.
Disney And OpenAI Commit To Responsible AI
Both OpenAI and Disney underscored their commitment to safeguards that block illegal or harmful content, protect content owners’ rights, and preserve individuals’ control over their voice and likeness.
The transaction remains subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, required corporate and board approvals, and customary closing conditions. If approved, Sora and ChatGPT Images will begin generating fan-inspired videos in early 2026, with some creations anticipated to become available to stream on Disney+, the news release notes.
“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,” OpenAI’s Founder and CEO Sam Altman said in the release.
“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,” Altman continued.
