Disney Agrees to Bring Its Characters to OpenAI’s Sora Videos

In a watershed moment for Hollywood and generative artificial intelligence, Disney that it would buy a $1 billion stake in OpenAI and bring its characters to Sora, the A.I. company’s short-form video platform. A curated selection of videos made with Sora will be available to stream on Disney+ as part of the three-year deal, giving the streaming service a foothold in a type of content that younger audiences, in particular, enjoy viewing and that has proved powerful for competitors like YouTube and TikTok. Sora users will be able to start generating videos with Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and Yoda in early 2026. While Disney’s initial investment in OpenAI is small—the start-up is valued at more than $500 billion—Disney has the ability to increase its stake as part of the deal. Notably, the agreement Disney announced with OpenAI did not include any talent likenesses or voices, and CEO Bob Iger—perhaps anticipating pushback in Hollywood to the agreement—repeatedly emphasized that Disney would collaborate “thoughtfully and responsibly” with OpenAI.