Partnerships
Disney and Adobe Announce AI Alliance with Custom Firefly Models
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Adobe announced a multi-year strategic alliance with The Walt Disney Company on November 9, 2026, becoming an Official AI Innovation Partner of Disney. The agreement includes custom Firefly Foundry models and technical collaboration across Disney’s theme-park, studio and sports operations.
Announced at Adobe MAX, the agreement gives Disney early access to Adobe’s latest AI, creative and media technologies, including Firefly, Firefly Foundry, Premiere and Photoshop. Dedicated Adobe engineering and research resources will support Disney’s production pipeline, pairing the software with direct technical assistance.
Custom Models Built Around Disney Properties
Firefly Foundry, Adobe’s offering for developing proprietary brand-specific models, is the technical center of the alliance. Disney will work directly with Adobe on generative AI models tailored to its properties.
Adobe describes the models as human-centered and artist-led, customized on Disney properties and trained on character attributes, environments and visual styles. Its stated goals are commercially safe, production-ready outputs, faster creative work and the capacity to develop more creative projects.
Imagineering’s Existing Firefly Work
Adobe first announced the Imagineering collaboration on June 16, 2026, for design and pre-production visualization across Disney Parks and Experiences. Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development is already using Firefly Foundry in theme-park development. A sketch-to-image model turns rough hand-drawn concepts into fully rendered 2D concept art, while a custom image model generates on-brand, franchise-accurate assets for properties including Mickey & Friends, Frozen, Moana, Lilo & Stitch and Cars.
The sketch workflow is designed to help designers compare and refine different creative directions. Adobe’s June announcement also listed a 3D modeling capability as forthcoming, intended to convert 2D renderings into detailed prototypes for planning builds, estimating materials and coordinating with engineering teams.
Disney described the training approach on June 18, 2026: the underlying model uses licensed and proprietary assets, followed by customization with more than 70 years of Imagineering concept art and technical designs. Kyle Laughlin, senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, said the project was intended to accelerate iteration while respecting Disney’s creator-driven process. “What’s most exciting is that it allows months of work to be compressed into days and weeks,” he said.
StudioLAB and ESPN Edge
Adobe is also joining The Walt Disney Studios’ StudioLAB program as an innovation partner. StudioLAB brings creative and technical staff together to prototype ideas and turn experiments into proven tools and storytelling opportunities; Adobe will work with Disney creatives and technologists to explore and expand internal creative workflows.
At ESPN Edge, ESPN and Adobe will examine AI applications for sports-fan engagement and content delivery, as well as new ways to use ESPN’s archive. Co-innovation projects with both StudioLAB and ESPN Edge are already underway, with additional activations and experiences planned during the alliance’s term.
The agreement also has a promotional dimension. Adobe will increase its presence across Disney’s entertainment and sports media platforms, while global marketing activations, industry-event collaborations and customer storytelling will involve Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line.
For Adobe, the alliance creates a broader production role and a prominent showcase for Firefly Foundry; for Disney, it adds dedicated engineering support and models built around its own properties. The practical test is whether Adobe can adapt the property-specific approach used at Imagineering to the different needs of StudioLAB’s internal workflows and ESPN’s content delivery.
