The Wizard of Oz at Sphere Review: Dazzling in Parts, Disjointed in Others

The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, Las Vegas. Image by Christianne Klein

There are rare moments when something feels frozen in time- and The Wizard of Oz at Sphere is one of them, in all its spectacular, contradictory glory.

This ambitious project officially opened August 28, 2025, at the state-of-the-art Sphere in Las Vegas, transforming the beloved 1939 classic into a full-sensory, 4K/16K+ immersive experience. Produced by Warner Bros., Sphere Entertainment, Google, and VFX experts Magnopus, the show uses generative AI to “outpaint” scenes, expanding the film’s original 4:3 frame to fill Sphere’s massive 160,000 sq ft curved screen. In the weeks before opening, they sold over 120,000 tickets, with projections hitting 200,000 before debut.

The opening moments are transcendent- the first time Dorothy’s hair is rendered in jaw-dropping clarity on a 360° dome: each wisp in sharp focus. You wish those first frames would stretch on forever. But the spell doesn’t hold. Some designers clearly outshone others, and when the AI falters, the seams show. The film stutters where composites misfire, pulling you back to Earth.

Certain visuals dazzle- the AI-enhanced foliage feels shockingly alive, and the first bursts of Technicolor are gorgeous. But others fall brutally short. At times, Digital Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion appear to hover just above the yellow brick road, a jarring reminder of the digital reconstruction. It’s as if some VFX artists leaned into poetry while others were simply racing deadlines. The first shots of Emerald City, meanwhile, look more like a bad cartoon than a cinematic marvel- a sobering reminder of what could have been.

Still, the immersive highlights make your heart flutter. The tornado sequence is breathtaking: wind lashes your face, tissue-paper leaves swirl overhead, fog pulses, haptic seats tremble, and aural tricksters make you feel like you’re tumbling down the funnel- truly inside the twister. The apple-throwing scene showers foam apples over the audience (just slightly out of reach). Flying monkeys swoop past your head. Flames burst from the stage during the Wizard’s grand reveal: the green-faced Wizard’s pores, meticulously detailed, are both eerie and awe-inspiring. Kudos to the design wizard who brought him to life.

Outside in the atrium, sepia-toned Kansas sets the stage (where your immersive journey begins). By the end, the Emerald City glows in full technicolor, and guests enter a replica of the Wiz’s throne room- complete with a projected, ghostlike Wizard.

But when the immersive effects wane, the AI’s shortcomings return- face smoothing, jittery composites, missing shadows, truncated scenes. Expressions sometimes feel soulless, and the integrity of Fleming’s original compositions gets lost in translation.

For an estimated $80–100 million investment involving thousands of VFX and tech talent, you expect seamless magic. Instead, you leave wondering what’s next- what classic will get the next tech-enhanced treatment, and will the technology finally live up to the story it’s trying to tell?

With the Sphere booked through 2027 and expansion on the radar, this “Oz” feels like the first in a coming wave of reimagined classics. But if you’re deciding whether to buy a ticket now, I’d wait. See what happens as the tech moves further down the yellow brick road.

Christianne Klein is an Emmy® and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, travel and lifestyle expert, and founder of FoodFamilyTravel.com.

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