In August 2025, “The Wizard of Oz” began its run at the Sphere in Las Vegas as a technologically enhanced, immersive re-release of the classic 1939 film. Featuring a wraparound 16K-resolution LED screen, this reimagined adaptation — a captivating 4D experience — places viewers alongside Dorothy and her beloved companions as they journey through Oz, seeking brains, heart, courage, and a way back home.
I had seen “The Wizard of Oz” a few times before experiencing it at the Sphere earlier this month, and have always enjoyed the film’s charm, music, and timelessness. I was curious to see how a classic film would translate into such an innovative space, and I was excited to find out if the Sphere’s technology would enhance or distract from the original story.
Unlike previous Sphere film showings, “The Wizard of Oz” marks the venue’s first fully developed 4D cinematic experience, which I found enhanced the story’s vivid atmosphere. This showing featured a variety of unique sensory elements like haptic seats that shook and vibrated to immerse viewers in the force of the tornado and 167,000 speakers that seamlessly delivered reorchestrated music.
Effects from the screen materialize in the air of the Sphere, bringing the world of Oz to the audience’s fingertips, literally. For example, as the Fighting Trees come to life around Dorothy and her friends, over 500 soft foam apples drop from ceiling hatches onto the audience to make us feel like we’re in the orchard with the Yellow Brick Road troop. These apples also make for highly sought-after souvenirs; I watched audience members eagerly reach for them as they fell.
During the poppy field scene when the Wicked Witch’s spell causes Dorothy and her companions to drift to sleep, snow gently falls over the audience as Glinda intervenes to save them on screen. Additional weather effects, such as wind, fog, and towering bursts of fire, further immerse viewers in the world of Oz.
The production also features AI-enhanced mountain and forest landscapes that expand the movie beyond the visual and spatial limits of the original camerawork. This extension felt very impressive in the moment, but later made me stop and consider the added value of such enhancements to a classic film. However, in hindsight, I feel that these additions were used in moderation — more to fill out the world of Oz than to replace what was already there. Instead of changing the film’s identity, the AI enhancements built upon it while preserving the elements that made the original so special.
I could tell exactly where the Sphere’s team decided to get creative and where they chose to stay true to the 1939 film, making my experience feel simultaneously new and nostalgic. The new tech and classic scenes complemented each other to enhance the magic and emotional weight of Dorothy’s journey.
What sets the Sphere apart from traditional moviegoing experiences is how its technology and design bring a film to life in ways that even a great theater viewing cannot. I believe the Sphere’s “The Wizard of Oz” is a singular, must-see production that elevates a classic film experience beyond simple sight and sound.
