You know how the worst part about watching a movie is that you can see the whole screen? Well, luckily, the Las Vegas Sphere is reportedly gearing up to fix film’s biggest problem by spending $80 million to turn The Wizard of Oz into a Sphere-ized experience.
According to The New York Post, the venue is in talks with Warner Bros. Discovery to adapt the 1939 classic into a format that could be screened within the state-of-the-art, all-encompassing, LED-covered arena. In addition to expanding the visuals, the process would cut the film’s runtime from 102 minutes to 80. The whole production would likely cost around $80 million. (Notably, when adjusted for inflation, the original budget of The Wizard of Oz was just $25 million.)
While the price tag seems high (though, not in comparison to Sphere’s $2.3 billion construction cost), an anonymous source explained to The New York Post that the venue makes substantially more profit on original content than concerts. For example, should the Wizard of Oz deal go through, Warner Bros. Discovery will receive about 5% of the gross profit, according to The Post’s sources.
It’s worth noting that Sphere has already dipped into the realm of film. Since 2023, it has screened Darren Aronofsky’s 55-minute Postcard from Earth. Unlike The Wizard of Oz, Aronofsky’s short film was made specifically for the Sphere.
While Sphere executives continue to work on future programming, The Eagles and Dead & Company are already slated for residences. Dead & Company are currently in the midst of their second round of shows (get tickets here), and The Eagles will take over the spot from September 20th to January 25th (get tickets here).
Revisit our 2023 review of the Sphere experience here.