Not just an “AI upscale”
This isn’t just the Blu-ray edition of Wizard of Oz slapped on a giant screen. It’s a full reimagining of what watching a movie can be.
The tornado scene doesn’t just swirl on-screen - the entire theater shakes with wind machines.
Dorothy walks through the orchard, and foam apples fall from the sky onto the crowd.
The Winged Monkeys don’t stay trapped in the frame - they literally swoop over your head.
The AI upscale and expanded frame look surprisingly natural, filling every inch of that 160,000-square-foot display without breaking the illusion.
It’s not “watching a movie” anymore - it’s being dropped inside the movie.
Forget 4DX. This is different.
I’ve never been a fan of 4DX cinemas - the ones with the rocking chairs that spray mist in your face and puff air at your neck during a car chase. It always felt gimmicky, like being shaken around on a theme park ride instead of actually enjoying the film.
The Sphere is different. The effects aren’t distractions layered on top of the movie - they’re woven into the experience. The entire thing is designed to become a new form of experience. It’s not about jolts of wind and water for shock value. It’s about immersion.
The future of classics?
The wildest part is how well it works with The Wizard of Oz - a movie that came out 85 years ago. If that can feel new and thrilling in this format, imagine what other classics could do.
Harry Potter with Quidditch matches flying over your head.
Star Wars with TIE Fighters screaming past you in surround space.
Toy Story with Andy’s room spilling out into the theater.
And please, Sphere gods, give us The Lord of the Rings. I want to feel the Balrog’s heat when Gandalf shouts “You shall not pass!”
The possibilities are insane.
The only catch: it’s in Vegas
The downside? You have to go to Las Vegas to see it. Which means a ticket to Oz comes with flights, hotels, and probably losing a few bucks to slot machines. At nearly $200 a ticket, it’s not exactly casual weekend movie money.
But from everything I’ve seen, it’s worth it. This isn’t just “watching a movie.” It’s stepping into a story you thought you already knew, and realizing you’ve never really seen it like this before.
Final thought
The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere feels like the start of something bigger. Not every movie needs this treatment, but for the right stories - the ones that are already cultural landmarks - it can be magic.
So yeah, I haven’t been yet. But judging by the videos circulating the web, the Sphere isn’t just reinventing The Wizard of Oz. It's giving us a whole new way of experiencing it.
