عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAI, License Characters for Sora Video Tool

FILE PHOTO: The main gate of entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. is pictured in Burbank, California May 5, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Prouser
FILE PHOTO: The main gate of entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. is pictured in Burbank, California May 5, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Prouser
TT
TT

Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAI, License Characters for Sora Video Tool

FILE PHOTO: The main gate of entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. is pictured in Burbank, California May 5, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Prouser
FILE PHOTO: The main gate of entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. is pictured in Burbank, California May 5, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

Walt Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will let the startup use characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in its Sora AI video generator, a crucial deal that could reshape how Hollywood makes content.

The three-year partnership announced on Thursday is a pivotal step in Hollywood's embrace of generative artificial intelligence, side-stepping the industry's concerns over the impact of AI on creative jobs and intellectual property rights.

As part of the licensing deal, Sora and ChatGPT Images will start generating videos using licensed Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Mufasa, from early next year. The agreement excludes any talent likenesses or voices.

"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," Disney CEO Bob Iger said.

OpenAI has been engaging with Disney and others in Hollywood for the past year in its search for partners, a person with knowledge of the discussions said.
The move marks a major shift in Disney's approach to AI - the company had decided to keep out its characters from the Sora app when OpenAI was in talks with companies regarding the tool's copyright policy.

Disney and Comcast's Universal had in June filed a copyright lawsuit against AI photo generation firm Midjourney for its use of the studios' best-known characters.

As part of the agreement with OpenAI, a selection of the videos by users will be made available for streaming on Disney+, allowing the streaming platform to capitalize on the growing appeal for short-form video content.

The media conglomerate will also receive warrants to purchase additional equity in the ChatGPT maker.

The companies will use OpenAI's models to build new products and customer experiences, including for Disney+ subscribers, while Disney will deploy ChatGPT for its employees, Reuters reported.

The partnership comes months after Hollywood's premier talent agency sharply criticized the same technology Disney is now embracing.

Creative Artists Agency, which represents thousands of actors, directors and music artists, said in October OpenAI was exposing artists to "significant risk" through Sora, questioning whether the AI company believed creative professionals "deserve to be compensated and credited for the work they create".

Most Viewed

 
 
Entertainment

‘Toy Story 5’ Tackles Tech Tensions and Tween Girl Trials

This image released by Disney shows characters Bullseye, left, and Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, in a scene from Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 5." (Disney/Pixar via AP)
This image released by Disney shows characters Bullseye, left, and Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, in a scene from Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 5." (Disney/Pixar via AP)
TT
TT

‘Toy Story 5’ Tackles Tech Tensions and Tween Girl Trials

This image released by Disney shows characters Bullseye, left, and Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, in a scene from Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 5." (Disney/Pixar via AP)
This image released by Disney shows characters Bullseye, left, and Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, in a scene from Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 5." (Disney/Pixar via AP)

For actor Joan Cusack, who voices the animated cowgirl Jessie in Disney's “Toy Story 5,” it was important that the film tell a different kind of story — one centered on the experiences of girls.

“I mean, we’re half the population,” she told Reuters.

Cusack emphasized the value of stories told from a female perspective, saying they bring a distinct emotional depth.

“Girl stories are great because they offer a different point of view. If you do it well, there’s real emotion in it. I think it’s real,” the “Working Girl” actor added.

Alongside Cusack, franchise veterans Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as the toys Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

In the latest installment, the toys confront a ⁠new threat: the rise ⁠of electronics, which increasingly replace them in children’s lives.

At the center is Bonnie, a little girl who feels pressured to swap her toys for a high-tech tablet called Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, in order to fit in with a judgmental group from her dance class.

The conflict sparks an emotional journey for Jessie as she supports Bonnie while questioning her own place in a tech-driven world.

“Toy Story 5,” directed by Andrew Stanton and co-written by Stanton and Kenna ⁠Harris, is the fifth installment in Pixar’s popular franchise and a sequel to "Toy Story 4," which was directed by Josh Cooley.

The film is projected to deliver the franchise’s strongest domestic box office debut, with an opening weekend estimated between $150 million and $175 million, according to Paul Dergarabedian, head of media analytics at Rentrak, a global measurement and research company serving the entertainment industry.

Daniel Loria, senior vice president of content strategy and editorial director at Boxoffice Pro, similarly forecasts an opening in the $150 million to $175 million range. He said "Toy Story 5" could become one of the highest-grossing films of 2026 and potentially surpass $500 million domestically, marking a new franchise record.

The franchise is vital to Disney, which relies on the popularity of its stories and characters to bring ⁠visitors to its theme ⁠parks, sell merchandise and watch its Disney+ streaming service.

The "Toy Story" films have brought in about $3 billion in global box office, according to Rentrak.

Tim Allen said he was surprised by how deeply the film affected him when he first watched it.
“This was horrifying to watch as an adult,” he told Reuters, explaining that the film’s themes of bullying struck an emotional chord for him as a father of girls.

For Tom Hanks, the franchise’s lasting appeal lies in the toys’ compassion for one another.
“Being part of this ensemble - friends who will do anything for each other whenever they are needed - that’s powerful,” the two-time Academy Award winner said.

“There’s no jealousy. There might be confusion, but there is always care for one another. And the fact that this is Jessie’s story, and she reaches out and says, ‘I need your help,’ we are right there.”

"Toy Story 5" arrives in theaters on Friday.

Entertainment

British Presenter Jeremy Clarkson Reveals He Has Cancer on TV Show

Horse Racing - Cheltenham Festival - Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Britain - March 13, 2026 Television presenter Jeremy Clarkson ahead of the races. (Action Images via Reuters)
Horse Racing - Cheltenham Festival - Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Britain - March 13, 2026 Television presenter Jeremy Clarkson ahead of the races. (Action Images via Reuters)
TT
TT

British Presenter Jeremy Clarkson Reveals He Has Cancer on TV Show

Horse Racing - Cheltenham Festival - Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Britain - March 13, 2026 Television presenter Jeremy Clarkson ahead of the races. (Action Images via Reuters)
Horse Racing - Cheltenham Festival - Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Britain - March 13, 2026 Television presenter Jeremy Clarkson ahead of the races. (Action Images via Reuters)

British television presenter Jeremy Clarkson, ‌best known for hosting the "Top Gear" motoring show, has revealed that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Clarkson, 66, one of Britain's most popular and high-profile TV figures, made the disclosure during filming for his Amazon documentary show "Clarkson's Farm" for episodes which were broadcast on Wednesday.

"I’ve got cancer," Clarkson tells two of the show's other main characters in a scene filmed last year. "I had a medical, remember, back in May? I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy ‌and it ‌is cancer, and it’s aggressive."

Clarkson said the ‌disease ⁠had been caught "really ⁠early" and he had since had an operation to remove 10% of his prostate.

"If I hadn’t have got myself checked out and they hadn’t caught the problem early, this could well have been my last harvest," he said. "It’s only because they did catch it early, there’s every hope that I’ll be harvesting ⁠this farm for many, many years to come."

Ahead ‌of the episodes' broadcast, Clarkson ‌posted a video on Instagram on Tuesday, saying they were a "difficult watch".

"Ordinarily, ‌we try to keep the show bucolic, charming, and cheerful," ‌he said. "But the final two episodes, which drop in the middle of the night tonight, are ... they're none of those things, really. They're a difficult watch.

"They're really, really difficult."

Clarkson, who has cultivated a ‌reputation for being controversial, gained worldwide fame as presenter of the BBC's "Top Gear" show but lost ⁠his job ⁠after he punched a member of the production team in 2015.

He moved to Amazon where he made a new car show with his old show's co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May, and subsequently began making the successful "Clarkson's Farm", which chronicles his often haphazard attempts to run the farm he owns in central England.

"I don't know what's going to happen. But look, what I wanted to say was: if this is all successful, I’ll see you for season six," he says from a hospital bed at the end of the final show of the latest series. "And if it isn’t, I won’t. Take care, everyone."

Entertainment

The Grammys Add 5 New Categories and Announce Changes to Best New Artist

Grammy awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. (AP)
Grammy awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. (AP)
TT
TT

The Grammys Add 5 New Categories and Announce Changes to Best New Artist

Grammy awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. (AP)
Grammy awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. (AP)

The Recording Academy has tweaked some of its rules for the 2026 Grammy Awards, including the addition of five new categories.

The academy on Tuesday announced the addition of a best Asian pop music performance category — celebrating releases across K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and beyond — awarded to the performer.

A new best traditional pop vocal performance category will be awarded to performers whose music “cannot properly be intermingled with present forms of pop music,” according to a press release.

Also, a new best Latin song category will recognize songwriters for their work on Latin songs recorded predominantly in Spanish.

The other changes affect the R&B and folk categories. A new best R&B collaboration or duo/group performance award joins the reimagined best R&B solo performance category.

Folk has experienced a similar change that country experienced last year: Best folk album has become best contemporary folk album. A best traditional folk album category has been added.

In addition to the five new categories, changes have been made regarding the criteria of a few releases. Most noteworthy: alterations to the best new artist category.

The Grammys will now allow artists to submit in the category four times, up from three. That is in an attempt to better reflect the current music market, where it can take time for an artist to break through.

There is no specified maximum number of previous releases and a screening committee is tasked with determining “whether the artist had attained this high degree of impact in the music industry prior to the eligibility year,” according to the rule book. An artist who has received a Grammy nomination in the past is not eligible.

The Grammys will also allow certain qualified members to vote in more categories.

“2027 is going to be an amazing year for the Grammy Awards, and one that reflects the extraordinary growth we’re seeing across music,” Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy said in a statement.

“The changes advanced by our Recording Academy members speak to the breadth of today’s music industry and the many genres, crafts and creators shaping it. We’re excited to see these updates come to life in the year ahead as we celebrate the music people who are driving music forward.”