OpenAI Weighs Equity Deal to Give Filmmaking Startup Sora Access

OpenAI is discussing an equity arrangement that would give an unnamed filmmaking startup customized access to Sora as the company develops software and services for filmmakers, but no agreement has been signed.

The proposed stake size, deal terms and timeline have not been disclosed. The extent of the startup’s access to Sora also remains undisclosed.

The startup was founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, former Sora research lead Bill Peebles and former Dropbox CFO Sujay Jaswa. Its name and product have not been disclosed.

OpenAI introduced Sora as a text-to-video model in February 2024 and moved it out of research preview in December 2024. The company discontinued Sora’s web and app experiences on April 26, 2026, and scheduled the API for discontinuation on Sept. 24, 2026.

The startup plans to use the technology in software and services for filmmakers. OpenAI has described Sora as a foundation for models designed to understand and simulate the real world.

The discussions follow a planned three-year Sora licensing agreement announced by Disney on Dec. 11, 2025. The planned arrangement covered more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters and included a planned $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI.

The Sora shutdown and its planned Disney expansion were covered in an earlier TokenPost report on the product’s withdrawal.