A whole new version of The Wizard of Oz is coming to life at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and it’s not your typical movie screening. Thanks to advanced AI technology and a massive, high-res screen, this classic film is getting a major upgrade.
What Is the Sphere in Las Vegas?
The Las Vegas Sphere, located near the Strip, opened in 2023 and quickly became one of the most talked-about venues in the world. It’s a state-of-the-art music and entertainment arena with 17,600 seats and a stunning wraparound 16K LED screen that completely surrounds the audience.
Its debut event featured a U2 residency, where the band used the Sphere’s full screen to create an unforgettable immersive concert experience.
A New Kind of Movie Magic
Now, the Sphere at the Venetian Resort is teaming up with Warner Bros. Discovery, Google, and Magnopus to reimagine the 1939 classic, The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. Just like the original film pushed the limits of technology in its time, this new version is doing the same—only with modern tools like generative AI and Google Cloud.
Premiere Date and What to Expect
The enhanced version of The Wizard of Oz will premiere on August 28th. But this isn’t just a restored film—it’s an AI-powered immersive experience designed specifically for the Sphere’s massive display.
Using AI upscaling, Google Cloud has cleaned up and sharpened the original film to fit the 16K screen. But they’ve gone even further, creating brand-new visuals with generative AI to fill in missing parts of scenes and expand the world beyond the original camera’s frame.
Expanding the World of Oz with AI
One example of this technology in action involves a scene in Kansas where Dorothy talks to Auntie Em and Miss Gulch. In the original movie, Uncle Henry is present but mostly off-screen. In the Sphere version, AI has generated the full room, including Uncle Henry, making the experience feel more 3D and immersive.
This allows the film to take full advantage of the Sphere’s massive 160,000-square-foot wraparound display without distorting or stretching the image.
Bringing an 86-Year-Old Film to Life
To create this unique experience, developers trained their AI using everything they could find—still photos, concept art, the original screenplay, and even the musical score. The result is a reimagined Wizard of Oz that stays true to the original while taking audiences deeper into the world of Oz than ever before.
What’s Next?
We’ll find out soon if this ambitious AI-driven remake is a hit with audiences. If it goes well, it could pave the way for other classic films to be reimagined for immersive venues like the Las Vegas Sphere.
