Google Uses AI to Reimagine 'The Wizard of Oz' for Las Vegas Sphere

Tech giant collaborates with Sphere Entertainment to enhance the 1939 classic using advanced AI technologies, creating an immersive experience for modern audiences.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Google collaborated with Sphere Entertainment to resurrect the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz” for the cutting-edge Las Vegas Sphere, a massive venue with a 160,000-square-foot immersive LED screen. The endeavor, considered highly challenging due to the film’s original 35mm format, required Google Cloud and DeepMind to develop new AI technologies, including “performance generation” and “outpainting,” to enhance resolution and expand scenes beyond the original frames.

Over 90% of the film was touched by AI, adding new visual elements like characters and backgrounds, and turning it into an “experiential” rather than purely cinematic event. AI models from Google’s Gemini family, like Veo 2 and Imagen 3, were fine-tuned using limited source material. The project also included input from professional filmmakers, including Oscar-nominated producer Jane Rosenthal.

Despite the broader industry’s ongoing debates on AI's role in entertainment, Sphere’s executives are optimistic about the reimagined film's impact. The enhanced version debuts August 28 and is expected to impress both audiences and the film industry.