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There’s no place like … Las Vegas? This summer, the globular entertainment dome known as the Sphere will transform into Oz when it presents the 1939 filmThe Wizard of Ozas an immersive picture. The movie will have its spherical premiere on Aug. 28.
The team behind the Sphere are promising that all the sepia-toned tornadoes, dastardly winged monkeys, and sparkling ruby slippers that moviegoers have adored for decades will translate well to Sphere’s curved screen. More precisely, they say, “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere will maintain the integrity of the original while pushing the boundaries of Sphere’s experiential medium.” The creative team behind the endeavor includes producer Jane Rosenthal (The Irishman); visual effects specialist Ben Grossmann (Hugo); editor Jennifer Lame (Oppenheimer); and Creative Director Zack Winokur (New York City’s Little Island).
Another film, premiering next year, will create an immersive extreme sports environment to test attendees’ mettle. Filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who co-directed the vertigo-inducing, Oscar-winning 2018 docFree Solo, about a rock climber, have teamed again to makeFrom the Edge. The picture will focus on five athletes who specialize in similarly jaw-dropping sports: free diver Alenka Artnik, skier Markus Eder, rock climber Alex Honnold, BASE jumper Katie Hansen Lajeunesse, and surfer Kai Lenny. The filmmakers are using the Sphere’s proprietary camera system to specialize it for the venue’s bulbous screens.
The Sphere, which cost a reported $2.2 billion, opened with a series of concerts by U2. “It’s impossible to even take in everything at once since the screen stretches far beyond anyone’s scope of vision,” wrote Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene of the kickoff show. “All you can do is take the ride and absorb as much as possible.”
Ticket prices for The Wizard of Oz and From the Edge have not yet been revealed, but it’s worth noting that admission to V-U2: An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas starts at around $100. So if you’re interested, you better fine-tune your roulette system now — or pawn your ruby slippers.
