Oz - Not in Hollywood Anymore

David J. Danto

Travel thoughts in my own, personal opinion

eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD on

Oz - September 2025

After many months of hype, The Wizard of Oz at the Las Vegas Sphere finally premiered last week – at eyebrow-raising prices. I caught it on day four. It’s pitched as an “immersive AI cinema experience,” and that framing is the tell: this isn’t a restoration – it’s a machine-led remix.

What it is

I expected a painstaking restoration of the original movie, simply up-res’d for a screen the size of three football fields. That’s not what we got. Yes, a few moments feel like tasteful fill-ins of what the director might have intended if modern production tools existed back then. But in many cases, it’s all new: AI isolates the classic characters and drops them into brand-new backdrops that never existed. The artist in me says that leans more toward butchering a classic than improving it. If you hated pan-and-scan “edited for TV” movies, this is the machine-learning sequel – new crops, new camera moves, and composites that were never the director’s intent.

They also significantly trim the story. The Sphere cut runs about 75 minutes – 26 minutes shorter than the 101-minute original. The edits feel less about pacing and more about throughput – clear the room sooner, push people to the lobby sooner, sell more stuff sooner, and seat the next audience sooner.

What lands – and what doesn’t

Some effects are clever. Apples fall from the sky when the trees start throwing them (more about that later), and the tornado is a genuine showstopper with wind, fog, and leaves whipping through the venue. Plenty of other moments aren’t sized for the room. The poppy-scene “snow” barely reaches past the first few rows. The Wizard’s live flames are about an eighth of what the space begs for. And the keys/mattes are often obvious – at least to trained eyes. Watch the edges around the munchkins’ heads or the Tin Man’s shoes on the Yellow Brick Road and you’ll see keying that’s… let’s say reminiscent of a videoconference virtual background. The invented environments are often gorgeous – they’re just not from the original movie.

The headline isn’t Dorothy – it’s workflow. AI is acting as editor, DP, and set designer. The show proves we can do that; it doesn’t quite prove we should. The result leans more toward “efficient remix for monetization” than “new art with a point of view.” I’d object a lot less if they called it something like The Wizard of Oz Experience instead of borrowing the original’s name.

Apples, applause, and a rumor

And yes, foam apples fall during the tree scene. No, there aren’t enough – none make it to the upper level, and people scramble over each other to snag the few that do. I’ve heard (unconfirmed) chatter that the apple drop may end thanks to insane eBay markups and those less-than-polite scrambles. Staff cheer when someone exits the venue carrying an apple – which reads less like “congrats on the souvenir” and more like “congrats on avoiding a black eye.” Whether policy changes or not, the scramble distracts from the show and telegraphs the business model.

Why I wasn’t shocked

I was disappointed in Sphere’s original house film last year – dazzling exterior, overhyped interior. Compared to genuinely immersive attractions that choreograph motion, sound, and scent to create emotion, the Sphere still feels tech-forward and heart-light. Oz is better than that early effort – but only a little. The magic of film is different from the magic of algorithms, and this show makes that contrast hard to miss.

One more Easter egg

Reports and press accounts say Sphere chief James Dolan and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav get blink-and-you-miss-it digital cameos as background Munchkin-land characters. Make of that what you will. My take is the enormity of the Sphere is dwarfed by the enormity of those egos.

Should you go?

If you’re curious about AI in filmmaking and have the spare cash, you’ll be entertained for a couple of hours. If you’re a cinema purist who spots bad mattes from the mezzanine, skip it – you’ll fixate on the edges and miss whatever wonder there is. I’m glad I saw it early, but I’m not in a hurry to plunk down another $130 (plus parking) to see it again.

Traveler notes

· Seats matter – sit closer if you want any chance at snow or apples.

· Budget for merch – the “free” souvenirs are scarce.

· Expect lines engineered to sell concessions.

· The exterior remains the star – plan a nighttime stroll even if you skip the show.

In the end, this Oz is a high-gloss remix that shows what AI can do – and why intention still matters more than resolution. Clicking your heels won’t get your money back, and there aren’t enough houses in Vegas to drop on James Dolan and David Zaslav for having the ego to Munchkin-mask themselves into the film – but there’s certainly enough spectacle to remind us that bigger isn’t automatically better.

My collaboration industry weekly webcast has some excerpts. If you want to see them you can go to this link after 10am EDT Monday September 8^th.

This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal opinions.

All image and links provided above as reference under prevailing fair use statutes.

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As always, feel free to write and comment, question or disagree. Hearing from the traveling community is always a highlight for me. Thanks!