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Disney is wrestling with how to best integrate AI into their studio operations, having started and then abandoned some generative-AI experiments for upcoming blockbusters due to concerns about potential backlash.
The Big Picture: AI is slowly entering the Hollywood studio ecosystem — especially after Lionsgate and A24 struck wide-ranging deals with startup Runway AI. For Disney, which maintains a vice-grip on how its characters are used and isn’t eager to upset the creative unions ahead of next year’s contract negotiations, figuring out how to navigate the rapidly evolving tech could set a precedent for the rest of the industry.
Behind The Scenes: Disney is erring on the side of caution when it comes to AI.
- The studio was working with Metaphysic to deepfake Dwayne Johnson’s face onto a body double for the live-action Moana (allowing him to be in two places at once) but scrapped the plan after 18 months of legal wrangling with the AI firm.
- For the upcoming Tron: Ares (a movie that tackles AI), executives considered creating a generative-AI character called “Bit” that would respond in real-time while filming. Disney shut down the idea, feeling the company “couldn’t risk the bad publicity,” per The WSJ.
- Additionally, Disney’s $1.5 billion partnership with Epic Games (which will include a Disney-only metaverse nicknamed “Bulldog”) has been slow to get off the ground because of AI issues, including a Darth Vader incident in Fortnite that raised red flags.
Final Render: Disney definitely isn’t opposed to a future with AI — it sees plenty of cost savings on the horizon and is reportedly in talks with AI streamer Storyteller — but the Mouse House wants to make sure its copyrights are protected. CEO Bob Iger and chief legal officer Horacio Gutierrez have even been meeting with White House officials to push back against the AI industry’s free-for-all training approach.
Also, in June, the company joined Universal in suing Midjourney, which the studio called “the quintessential copyright free-rider and a bottomless pit of plagiarism.” No one messes with Mickey.
Predictive Prompt: While people may be able to use Disney characters in generative-AI content in the future, expect the company to retain full creative rights over whatever’s created — whether or not there’s a federal law protecting that copyright.
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