Disney weighs AI future in film production amid legal risks and union pushback

Disney pauses AI projects like Moana remake and Tron: Ares as legal, ethical, and union concerns mount in Hollywood.

Disney is cautiously navigating how to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into its film and television production, balancing innovation with concern over its legacy and legal exposure. A plan to use AI to create a digital double of Dwayne Johnson for the live-action Moana remake—with his cousin serving as a body double and AI-generated facial replacement—was ultimately shelved over concerns about intellectual property ownership, privacy, and union backlash.

The company has since taken a conservative approach: CEO Bob Iger and legal chief Horacio Gutierrez emphasize that while AI holds transformative potential, it must not compromise the integrity of Disney’s classic characters and storytelling. Disney has also sued AI firms—such as Midjourney—for using its copyrighted characters without permission, underscoring its commitment to protecting intellectual property rights.

Projects like Tron: Ares, originally targeted for AI integration, were abandoned due to the risk of negative publicity and ongoing negotiations with actors’ and writers’ unions. At the same time, Disney is cautiously exploring AI use elsewhere, including personalized Disney+ clips and an AI version of Darth Vader in Fortnite, consistent with the company’s ongoing $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games.

Internally, Disney has established an AI review committee that vets any use of generative tools in corporate workflows; requests must be approved within 48 hours. Yet employees and creative partners remain wary about the implications for labor, copyright, and creative control.

Disney is not alone. The broader Hollywood ecosystem is under pressure from lawsuits, union scrutiny, and regulatory uncertainty as studios wrestle with how to harness AI without undermining artistic authenticity. With stakeholders divided between innovation and preservation, Disney’s actions reflect a cautious path forward in a rapidly evolving landscape.