Why 'The Owl House' Creator Is Telling Fans to Boycott Disney+

The Owl House creator Dana Terrace has publicly called for fans to boycott Disney+ and pirate her own show in a fiery response to Disney's new generative AI strategy. The controversy was sparked when CEO Bob Iger announced plans to integrate user-facing AI tools on Disney+, allowing subscribers to create and share their own short-form content using the company’s famous characters.

The plan was revealed during Disney’s fourth-quarter earnings call on November 13. Iger framed the AI features, reportedly inspired by Fortnite-style user-generated content, as a key part of providing "a much more engaged experience". He noted the company is in “productive conversations” with unnamed AI partners to ensure it maintains control over its intellectual property.

Backlash from the creative community was immediate. On November 14, Terrace posted on the social media platform X, "Unsubscribe from Disney+. Pirate Owl House. I don’t care. Fuck gen AI." The post quickly went viral, reportedly amassing more than one million views and tens of thousands of likes within its first day.

Artists Fear AI Tools Will Devalue Work, Eliminate Jobs

Terrace, a respected animator who also worked on Gravity Falls and directed the DuckTales reboot, echoes a widespread fear among artists that these tools will devalue creative work and lead to job losses. This anger is amplified by Disney's recent layoffs, which significantly affected animators and VFX professionals, leading many to see the AI rollout as a cost-cutting measure rather than an innovation.

This AI announcement is the latest in a string of public controversies for Disney in 2025. While the company celebrated a major box office milestone this year, it has also faced backlash for raising its subscription prices. 

It was also just locked in a high-profile blackout dispute with YouTube TV, which was only resolved with a new carriage deal on November 15 after a multi-day service interruption.

Disney's stance on AI also appears contradictory to many. While it pushes forward with its own user-facing AI tools, the company is simultaneously engaged in major copyright infringement lawsuits against AI startups like Midjourney and Character.ai for the unauthorized use of its characters.

Adding to the irony, Terrace’s call for piracy comes just as Disney has joined forces with Netflix and Crunchyroll. The companies recently launched a major legal offensive against large-scale piracy platforms, specifically targeting sites like VidSrc.