Follow the Yellow Brick Road… to Las Vegas: The Wizard of Oz Reimagined at the Sphere
The timeless classic The Wizard of Oz is set to make a dazzling return — not in traditional theaters, but inside the world’s most immersive venue: the Las Vegas Sphere. Beginning August 28, 2025, audiences will step into Oz like never before, thanks to a groundbreaking fusion of artificial intelligence and next-gen visual technology.
But this is far more than a remaster. As revealed on CBS Sunday Morning, the screening will be an entirely new cinematic experience, powered by a team of over 2,000 artists, technicians, and AI engineers at Sphere Studios.
A Classic Transformed by Artificial Intelligence
Rather than simply projecting the original 1939 film onto the Sphere’s massive 160,000 square foot wraparound LED display, the creators are enhancing the movie using cutting-edge AI.
Highlights include:
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AI upscaling to boost the resolution of grainy footage
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Outpainting, a technique that expands beyond the original frame to reveal details never filmed — yet fully authentic to the style of the movie
Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz described the effect:
“A grainy close-up of Dorothy becomes richly detailed, and then through a process called outpainting — though it seems like magic — we see the rest of the Scarecrow, the Yellow Brick Road, and the mountains of Oz.”
In some scenes, this expansion even involves generating new visuals of the original actors, seamlessly blending into the restored film.
Immersion Without Alteration
Despite these dramatic enhancements, Sphere Entertainment CEO James Dolan emphasized the team’s respectful approach:
“Our standard on this was not to modify the film at all but to try and bring you into the film, as if you were in the studio when it was shot.”
In other words, it’s not a remake — it’s an invitation into the original world of Oz, amplified by state-of-the-art immersive technology.
A Glimpse Into the Future of Cinema?
This Wizard of Oz project could signal a larger shift in how we experience cinema. The merging of AI restoration, interactive visuals, and venue-scale immersion offers a preview of how classic films might be reintroduced to new generations.
For movie lovers, tech enthusiasts, and nostalgic dreamers alike, this event is unmissable.
🗓 Mark your calendar: August 28, 2025
📍 Location: Sphere, Las Vegas
🟡 Step into Oz — not just watch it.
