Las Vegas Sphere to Unleash AI-Enhanced WIZARD OF OZ This August

Get ready to click your heels, because something truly revolutionary is coming to the Las Vegas Sphere! Starting August 28, 2025, the iconic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" will be re-imagined and screened at the groundbreaking venue, with Artificial Intelligence playing a starring, transformative role. This isn't just a movie showing; it's being hailed as a pivotal moment in entertainment innovation.

The Sphere, known for its mind-bending visual and sensory experiences, is taking the beloved classic to unprecedented levels of immersion. Imagine stepping directly into the Land of Oz, experiencing not just the sights and sounds, but even the scents of Dorothy's journey.

AI at the Helm of Transformation

This ambitious project, a collaboration between Sphere Entertainment, Google Cloud, Google DeepMind, Magnopus, and Warner Bros. Discovery, has been over a year in the making. The core of this transformation lies in advanced AI models, particularly Google's Gemini, Veo, and Imagen.

The original film, shot for a standard 4:3 screen on 35mm celluloid, is being meticulously upscaled and re-engineered to fill the Sphere's colossal 160,000-square-foot, 16K-resolution interior display. This isn't a simple "stretch and fit." AI is being used for:

Super Resolution: Intelligently enhancing the film's resolution, filling in missing pixels to create an ultra-crisp 16K image that truly pops on the Sphere's high-definition screen.

Outpainting: Seamlessly extending backgrounds and even adding characters who were originally off-screen in the 1939 film. This creates a fully enveloping environment, making audiences feel truly present within the scenes.

Performance Generation: Utilizing AI to tie performances together across cuts and ensure characters remain on screen for extended periods, enhancing the immersive flow that a traditional film couldn't achieve on this scale.

Producers emphasize that the AI is enhancing and expanding the existing film, not creating new scenes, dialogue, or songs. The goal is to remain faithful to the original's integrity while offering an entirely new way to experience it. Dorothy's freckles will be in sharp focus, and Toto will scamper more seamlessly than ever before!

Beyond Visuals: A Multi-Sensory Spectacle

The Sphere's unique capabilities will further deepen the "Oz" experience. Audience members can expect:

Haptic Seats: Providing tactile sensations that sync with the on-screen action.

Environmental Effects: Such as wind during the tornado scene.

Custom Scents: Including the earthy gust of the tornado and the sweet aroma of the poppy field, connecting directly to memory and emotion.

This innovative approach is a bold step for entertainment, pushing the boundaries of how classic content can be revitalized for modern audiences. With tickets starting at $104, "The Wizard of Oz at Sphere" promises to be an unforgettable journey down the yellow brick road, unlike anything seen before. It truly signals a new era where cutting-edge AI and immersive technology are reshaping the very fabric of storytelling.