Hollywood Classic Transformed by AI for The Sphere

June 23, 2025 by guest author, Antonia Hamberger

This summer, the Las Vegas Sphere is running its first true Hollywood classic: the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz. Originally shot in 4:3 format, the film has been re-created using AI to fit the Sphere’s 160,000  sq. ft. interior LED. The result is a 4D experience called “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere”.

All the shows at the Sphere so far have been created specifically for the venue. That’s not only because of the Sphere’s 16k screen but also because of its unique sound system. To produce an immersive version of the original film, The Sphere Studios – the venue’s in-house content team – assembled a crew of over 1,000 creatives and tech experts.

Working with developers from Google DeepMind, AI models were trained to do more than just improve the movie’s resolution – they also added entirely new elements. For example, in the original dance scene, only Dorothy Gale’s head might be visible. But in the Sphere version, you can see her whole body up to her feet clad in the signature ruby slippers.

Show promotion for “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere” (Image: The Sphere/Screenshot)

The show premieres on August 23, but promotion for the show on the Sphere’s outdoor LED screen is already in full swing. And for the first time, a physical element has been added: 15-meter-long legs wearing 6.7-meter-high red slippers stretch out from the exosphere. During the promo, the exterior screen shows the scene where Dorothy’s farmhouse falls from a whirlwind and lands on the witch.

The Sphere is planning more such AI re-makes in the future: “My hope for it is that we keep exploring different ways to create this kind of content and to take great performances from the past and bring them to life today. I think the world is going to be amazed,” says Jim Dolan, CEO und Executive Chairman at Sphere Entertainment.