Las Vegas Sphere launching 'experience' around classic film
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Sphere, the famed immersive Las Vegas entertainment arena, is set to debut two new "Sphere Experiences" later this year — and one is based on a beloved classic motion picture.
Sphere Entertainment Co. announced Friday that "The Wizard of Oz at Sphere" will be the next film to take to the Sphere massive screen. The collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, Google, and software company Magnopus will attempt to enhance the original 1939 film to take advantage of Sphere's unique capabilities.
"The creative team behind 'The Wizard of Oz at Sphere' includes Academy Award and Emmy-nominated producer Jane Rosenthal ('The Irishman'); Academy Award-winning visual effects specialist Ben Grossmann ('Hugo'); Academy Award-winning editor Jennifer Lame ('Oppenheimer'); and Creative Director Zack Winokur (Little Island public park)," officials from Sphere Entertainment Co. said.
The "fully immersive" "Wizard of Oz" experience will debut August 28.
A second project, entitled "From The Edge," features "Free Solo" rock climber Alex Honnold alongside free diver Alenka Artnik, skier Markus Eder, BASE jumper Katie Hansen Lajeunesse, and surfer Kai Lenny taking the audience inside their high-stakes world of extreme sports.
The new experience leverages Sphere Entertainment Co.'s Big Sky camera technology, as highlighted in June by 8 News Now in Las Vegas, to produce images meant for Sphere's unique stage. Filming for "From the Edge" is in progress worldwide in locations such as Jordan, Dubai, Switzerland, the Bahamas, Austin, Maui, and Las Vegas.
"From The Edge" is set to debut in 2026.