Disney and Adobe announced this Monday (9) a multi-year alliance to develop proprietary generative artificial intelligence models and expand their use in entertainment operations, theme parks and sports media. The agreement, presented during Adobe MAX, expands a collaboration that was already being used by Walt Disney Imagineering in the development of attractions.
The initiative uses Adobe Firefly Foundry, a platform that allows creating custom models based on Disney intellectual properties. Instead of relying exclusively on generic image-generation systems, the tools are adapted to characteristics of characters, environments and visual styles of the franchises, with the goal of producing materials compatible with the company's creative requirements.
Imagineering, the division responsible for conceiving park attractions and experiences, already uses two custom models. One turns hand-drawn sketches into detailed digital illustrations. The other generates visual materials aligned with the franchises' identities, allowing different design proposals to be explored before moving on to later stages of the projects.
In an interview with Reuters, Kyle Laughlin, senior vice president of research, technology and engineering at Disney Imagineering, said these tools had made it possible to reduce to hours or days creative processes that had taken months. According to the executive, the ability to quickly test different versions also helps avoid costly changes during the construction of the attractions.
Laughlin emphasized that the tools were designed to accelerate creative work, not to replace Imagineering professionals. The productivity gains described represent the experience reported by Disney, not an independent measurement applicable to all of its operations.
Partnership started in June now reaches studios and sports media
The specific collaboration in generative AI did not begin with this week's announcement. On June 16, 2026, Adobe and Walt Disney Imagineering had already announced an agreement to incorporate Firefly Foundry into the process of creating attractions and experiences.
At the time, the companies presented applications for turning drawings into digital images, generating visual elements from franchises such as Frozen, Moana and Cars, and developing three-dimensional prototypes from two-dimensional concepts. This last capability was described as part of the planned workflows, but its implementation was not confirmed in the November statement.
The main novelty now is the expansion of the collaboration to other Disney divisions. At StudioLAB, the innovation center of Walt Disney Studios, Adobe will participate in the development and experimentation of tools for internal creative processes.
Meanwhile, at ESPN Edge, the companies will work on AI applications aimed at expanding fans' engagement with sports content and exploring new ways to use ESPN's audiovisual archive.
The agreement also establishes Adobe as Disney's official AI innovation partner, with early access to technologies such as Firefly, Premiere and Photoshop, as well as dedicated engineering and research resources.
According to the statement, joint projects with StudioLAB and ESPN Edge are already underway. This, however, does not mean that the applications planned for these divisions are fully implemented. The expansion will be developed over the coming years, with no detailed public timeline for each tool.
