Want to create short videos featuring Mickey Mouse, Disney Princesses, or Star Wars characters? Thanks to a deal between Disney and Open AI, you’ll soon be able to use Sora, an AI video creator.
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As part of the Walt Disney Company’s $1 billion investment in OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, the entertainment giant will enable the use of Mickey Mouse and other Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars characters in unique videos created by artificial intelligence.
In addition to creating videos with OpenAI’s AI-powered video creator Sora, subscribers will be able to watch select Sora-generated videos on Disney+. Disney’s “fan-inspired videos” produced using Sora are expected to begin in early 2026, the companies announced on Thursday, December 11th.
As part of the three-year agreement, Disney will also use OpenAI’s applications to “build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+,” and employees will use ChatGPT’s chatbots.
Disney’s deal with OpenAI is a major step toward an AI-driven future for the House of Mouse, and gives Disney fans unprecedented control over their beloved characters, along with copyright holder protections.
“The rapid advances in artificial intelligence are at an important time for our industry,” Disney CEO Robert Iger said in a statement announcing the deal. “Through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly expand the scope of generative AI storytelling, while respecting and protecting creators and their work.”
Disney’s deal with OpenAI coincides with Disney sending a cease-and-desist letter to Google alleging copyright infringement for allowing its works, including characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, to be used in AI-generated images and videos. “Google’s AI services are designed to take a free ride on Disney’s intellectual property,” the letter, dated Dec. 10, sent to Google’s lawyers, said, according to a copy obtained by USA TODAY.
The Disney acquisition is also a coup for OpenAI amid stock market volatility, as some worry that AI investment and optimism could spark a bubble reminiscent of the dot-com boom of the 1990s.
“This agreement demonstrates how AI companies and creative leaders can responsibly collaborate to foster innovation that benefits society, honor the importance of creativity, and help work reach vast new audiences,” Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, said in a statement.
What is Sora? And how will Disney characters be involved?
Sora is an AI-powered video generator that lets you create new videos from text instructions using existing images and videos, including new images you upload. You can describe a scene and generate a 10-second vertical video with synchronized audio.
For now, you can follow Sora’s instructions to cast yourself and your approved friends in a video. But eventually you’ll be able to create videos starring Disney characters, including Disney princesses like Cinderella, Pixar characters like Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., and even Marvel and Star Wars characters like Black Panther and Yoda.
In an interview with Altman on CNBC on Thursday, Dec. 11, Iger said consumers can create 30-second videos using the names and likenesses of about 200 characters, but not their voices.
The feature makes sense, Iger told CNBC. “We also think we’re in a time where almost anyone can be a creator of some sort, as consumption of short-form videos has increased significantly. And we’re seeing that in amazing ways on other platforms as well. And this is a real way for us as a company to give young viewers in particular the experience of engaging with our characters in new ways.”
Users of Sora’s video generator have an “unusual” demand for Disney characters, Altman told CNBC. Consumers will be able to participate in “Star Wars lightsaber battles” and create “a custom Buzz Lightyear birthday video for their kids,” he said. “I think this will be a pretty big issue for users. Then we can reevaluate from there,” he added.
The relationship between Disney and OpenAI will be beneficial for both companies and fun for consumers, Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, told USA TODAY.
“This is all about integrating Sora into the Disney network and cross-selling ChatGPT,” he said. “This is a convergence of worlds, and a smart move by Disney to jump deep into the pool with OpenAI.”
How can I get Sora, OpenAI’s video generator?
The consumer version of the Sora app is available from Apple’s App Store, Google Play Store, and sora.com.
ChatGPT subscribers also have access to Sora. ChatGPT Plus subscribers ($20/month) have limited access to Sora 1 video generation. ChatGPT Pro subscribers ($200/month) can create longer, higher-resolution Sora videos.
OpenAI also announced GPT-5.2 on Thursday, December 11, which includes advanced features in ChatGPT’s thinking, reasoning, and task solutions. According to OpenAI, approximately 800 million people use ChatGPT every week.
Contributor: Greta Cross, USA TODAY, Reuters.
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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