Google and Sphere Entertainment have joined forces to reimagine The Wizard of Oz for a new era, leveraging generative AI to transform the 1939 classic into a fully immersive experience at the high-tech Sphere venue in Las Vegas. The production, opening on 28 August 2025, marks a significant leap in visual storytelling – one the companies say is as revolutionary as the original film’s use of Technicolor nearly nine decades ago.

The project sees Google Cloud and Google DeepMind deploying their most advanced AI models – Gemini, Veo 2 and Imagen 3 – to digitally enhance, expand and reframe The Wizard of Oz for Sphere’s 160,000-square-foot 16K LED screen, the highest resolution display on Earth.

The AI tools are being used to upscale the film’s resolution, extend its scenic backgrounds and even digitally recreate characters, enabling interactions and visuals that were never possible with traditional film techniques.

“The power of generative AI, combined with Google’s infrastructure and expertise, is helping us to achieve something extraordinary,” said Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO of Sphere Entertainment. “We needed a partner who could push boundaries alongside our teams at Sphere Studios and Magnopus, and Google was the only company equipped to meet the challenge.”

Sphere’s reimagining of The Wizard of Oz involves extensive use of Google’s AI-optimised cloud infrastructure to process the staggering data demands of the project – more than 1.2 petabytes so far. Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Kubernetes Engine and custom accelerators are central to making the experience possible.

Among the AI-driven techniques in use:

Super Resolution: Veo enhances the original footage into crisp 16K visuals, reconstructing fine details to meet the display’s demands. Outpainting: AI extends the film’s environments beyond the original frame, making it feel as though viewers are physically present in the Land of Oz. Performance Generation: Gemini and Veo allow multiple characters to remain on screen longer, avoiding traditional cuts to deepen immersion. Extended Context Windows: These maintain visual coherence over extended sequences, essential for an uninterrupted experience.

Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, described the collaboration as “a great example of pushing the boundaries of generative AI to deliver exciting new experiences for audiences – and new opportunities for studios and filmmakers.”

The original The Wizard of Oz was only the third Hollywood film to use the revolutionary three-strip Technicolor process. This next evolution – combining cutting-edge AI with Sphere’s immersive tech – promises to introduce the iconic film to an entirely new generation in a way never before imagined.