The Yellow Brick Road has a new home in Las Vegas. On August 28, The Wizard of Oz premiered at the Sphere, bringing Dorothy’s journey to life in a way that had audiences on their feet and left with much to talk about long after the show.
The Sphere—a globe-shaped arena with a 160,000-square-foot, 16K-resolution LED screen—brought Dorothy’s journey to life by using A.I. enhancements to expand scenes from the original movie, The Wizard of Oz, to fill the Sphere’s massive venue, wrapping around audiences in every direction to make fans fully feel immersed into the Land of Oz. In this updated version of the iconic film, the Sphere extended the poppy field, brought previously unseen details into frame—such as adding Uncle Henry into a scene where he was once out of frame, and even altering the Wicked Witch’s broom message to read “Surrender Dorothy – Or Die.” Not only that, but nearly 30 minutes of the original film was cut to fit the new format.
Even though not everything made the cut, the producers decided to take things to the next level and add details of their own. The Cowardly Lion’s number, “If I Were King of the Forest,” was completely trimmed, along with nearly 30 minutes of runtime which was licensed for the project by Warner Bros. Pyrotechnics lit up the Emerald City, drones dressed up as the flying monkeys flew through the air, apples fell from above during the enchanted tree scene, fake snowflakes came down from the poppy field scene, and high-powered fans blasted confetti leaves during the twister. “There are incredible wind machines that you can’t see, but you feel. If you’ve got a toupee on, you may want to hold on to it,” Variety’s Chris Willman said in an interview with NPR.
The premiere drew many in, including Judy Garland’s daughter, Lorna Luft. Luft walked the yellow carpet with her children and grandchildren, insisting that her mother “would have loved this, absolutely.” Hundreds of fans came ready and prepared in ruby slippers and were joined by celebrities like Kris Jenner, Brian May, and actress Tia Carrere, who was spotted holding onto her head after making it through the tornado effect.
Even fans closest to the story were impressed by the show the Sphere put on. Oz historian Ryan Jay revealed he had already shelled out for a return ticket despite prices. “This is our Super Bowl,” Jay said, despite prices starting at a not-in-Kansas-anymore price of $104. “I’m coming back tomorrow.”
Not everyone was so eager to follow the Yellow Brick Road. From the very moment the Sphere announced its project, online debates began. Fans started to call the A.I. “enhancements” as “artistic butchery” and “the death of cinema,” The New York Times reported. For many, trimming songs and adding in new effects felt like crossing a line. Some thought it was almost just a glitzy remix of the iconic Wizard of Oz.
Producers however, see it differently. Jane Rosenthal, one of the producers, argued that the team worked carefully to respect the original masterpiece. “The key for us is to maintain the integrity of the original filmmakers’ intent.”
Sphere Entertainment CEO James Dolan has proposed that the venue could give other Hollywood classics an opportunity to shine. He suggested that Gone with the Wind could be used as a possibility, though nothing has been confirmed. With 200,000 tickets being sold on the premier, strong sales could encourage studios to keep exploring A.I.
For now, the opinions are divided. Cinephiles worry about the future of film, while Vegas audiences pack the Sphere to see a story they thought they knew in a whole new way. Dorothy once said, “there’s no place like home,” but for today’s fans, there may be no place like the Sphere.
