AI-Enhanced, Immersive “The Wizard of Oz” Debuts at Sphere in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 29 (Reuters) - A groundbreaking, AI-enhanced adaptation of the 1939 musical fantasy “The Wizard of Oz” premiered Thursday at the Sphere, the cutting-edge dome-shaped entertainment venue just off the Las Vegas Strip.

A swirling yellow-brick pathway led attendees into the venue’s 160,000-square-foot interior display plane, where drone-operated Winged Monkeys, wind-simulating fans and scatterings of leaf-shaped confetti immersed audiences in Dorothy’s journey like never before.

James Dolan, CEO of Sphere Entertainment, hailed the production as the venue’s “most compelling example of experiential storytelling in this innovative medium,” promising that viewers “will truly feel like you are part of the narrative”.

Over two years in development and involving more than 2,000 collaborators from Sphere’s creative team, Google’s DeepMind researchers and Warner Bros. Discovery executives, the film employs generative AI to upscale original 35mm frames to 16K resolution and extend scenes across the Sphere’s massive curved screen. AI-driven enhancements added intricate details-from Dorothy’s freckles to digitally rendered crowd extras-while preserving Judy Garland’s iconic vocal performances through Sphere’s 167,000-speaker immersive sound system.

Despite the technical marvels, some film enthusiasts have voiced concerns about altering the timeless classic, and critics noted that AI’s smoothing of original performances sometimes imparted a waxy, emotionless sheen to human characters-particularly evident outside the awe-inspiring tornado sequence.

Among the premiere’s distinguished guests was Lorna Luft, daughter of Garland, who remarked on the production’s capacity to merge cutting-edge technology with cinematic nostalgia. The immersive AI rendition of “The Wizard of Oz” marks a pivotal moment in live-event entertainment and sparks fresh debate about the role of artificial intelligence in reshaping cultural touchstones.