Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAI in Major Deal That Boosts Sora in Hollywood
Users of the AI video creation platform will now be able to create clips of 200 characters from Marvel, Pixar and 'Star Wars' franchises.
In what may prove to be a milestone move for major Hollywood studios, Disney has decided to partner with OpenAI and invest $1 billion in the Sam Altman-run artificial intelligence juggernaut as well as ink a licensing deal that would allow users of its AI video creation platform Sora to create clips using iconic characters from Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars franchises.
The three-year deal signals that studios may look to embrace, rather than fight, AI startups that already allow users to infringe on their intellectual property. By this thinking, at least Hollywood companies are able to monetize their IP with lucrative licensing deals rather than see their businesses entirely disrupted with nothing to show for it. Whether that ultimately destabilizes the production and content creation side of the entertainment industry may be the big question.
For now, shortform video creation is the deal of the day and Disney+ will now allow “fan-inspired Sora short form videos” on its platform, a product add that studio chief Bob Iger hinted at on a Nov. 13 earnings call. In examples, Disney included images of a fan with a lightsaber in Star Wars garb, another fan surfing on a big wave with Stitch at the edge of the surfboard and another fan at the starting line of a race next to a Pixar vehicle from Cars. The licensed character product launches on Sora and ChatGPT images will debut in early 2026.
The move immediately may start to legitimize Sora around the industry, given Disney’s brand-cautious approach. It’s an about-face from the scorn and hostility that Sora faced upon its October invite-only launch, where Altman’s product debuted features — like allowing users to create videos using celebrities’ likenesses to have them say or do whatever a user liked — before walking back those features after backlash.
