OpenAI has discontinued its AI video generation platform Sora, bringing an early end to its collaboration with Disney, which was signed less than four months ago.
The decision marks a strategic shift for the company as it reallocates resources toward enterprise offerings, coding tools and long-term artificial general intelligence (AGI) development.
Sora, which launched as a standalone app in September 2025, had gained traction for enabling users to create hyper-realistic AI-generated videos. It briefly topped Apple’s App Store rankings following its release and saw widespread adoption after its public rollout in late 2024. However, the platform also faced concerns around content safety, including misuse of copyrighted material, misinformation and inappropriate content.
The shutdown affects Disney, which had entered into a three-year agreement with OpenAI in December 2025. The deal included a proposed $1 billion equity investment and access to more than 200 Disney-owned characters across franchises such as Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars for integration into Sora. The investment had not been completed at the time of the shutdown.
According to the report, the decision was communicated without significant advance notice. Teams from both companies were reportedly engaged in ongoing work related to Sora until shortly before the discontinuation was announced.
OpenAI is expected to redeploy the Sora team into research areas including robotics and advanced AI development. The company is also consolidating its consumer and developer products, such as ChatGPT and Codex, into a more unified platform as part of its broader strategy.
Disney is likely to explore alternative partnerships in the AI video space as it continues to invest in immersive and interactive content. The development highlights the challenges and evolving dynamics in the integration of generative AI with large-scale entertainment properties.
