The Wizard of Oz‘s controversial AI revival is already a box office smash. The classic 1939 Judy Garland musical based on L. Frank Baum’s children’s book is currently being screened at Sphere in Las Vegas, a new concert and theatrical venue that uses 160,000 square feet of LED screens to create an immersive, curved, wraparound visual experience.
The release is well-timed with the blockbuster popularity of 2024’s Wicked and the upcoming Wicked: For Good, which adapt the Broadway prequel musical about the origin of the Wicked Witch of the West. However, it also courted controversy because generative AI was used to expand The Wizard of Oz, reduce film grain, and even add new imagery to fill space.
Per Bloomberg, 4,000 to 5,000 people a day are attending the Wizard of Oz Sphere presentation, paying an average ticket price of $200. This has resulted in a huge influx of box office for the nearly century-old movie, which has also had roughly 30 minutes cut from its run time for this new presentation, which includes other immersive effects like wind fans.
In addition to the movie earning hundreds of millions of dollars over the next twelve months at a rate of roughly $2 million per day, insiders estimate that the Sphere’s Wizard of Oz show could earn $1 billion by the time its run is over.
Because this show technically counts as a theatrical presentation, this would add to The Wizard of Oz‘s overall box office haul (currently just $29.7 million, not adjusted for inflation) to make it one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
What This Wizard Of Oz Update Means
Reportedly, the update to the iconic Golden Age Hollywood fantasy movie cost roughly $100 million, which could mean that it will need to earn $200 million or more in order to become profitable for Sphere. However, that is obviously well within its reach.
The profit earned by Wizard of Oz alone could go a long way toward justifying the reported $2.3 billion that was spent on the Las Vegas venue’s construction. Additionally, the Sphere revival is already turning out pure profit for Warner Bros., who licensed the тιтle but did not have a hand in the AI restoration.
Naturally, given these numbers, Sphere Entertainment Co. executive chairman James Dolan is pursuing building similar shows out of other properties from Warner Bros. (including the highly lucrative Harry Potter franchise, which includes eight movies, three Fantastic Beasts spinoffs, and an upcoming HBO series) and Disney (including Star Wars).
Our Take On The Wizard of Oz’s Sphere Box Office
Special presentations and premium large format screens have long been sources of huge box office revenue. For instance, 3D showings and IMAX ticket sales are in large part responsible for pushing 2009’s Avatar to become the highest-grossing movie of all time worldwide and sending its 2022 sequel The Way of Water careening up the all-time chart to hit No. 3.
In addition to tapping into that same well of profits, it makes sense that Oz would be able to maintain this level of ticket sales, because it’s currently only playing in Las Vegas. Consumers are seemingly not balking at the ticket prices because it is part of the overall Vegas experience and may feel like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, if more of these presentations beyond The Wizard of Oz are successful while using generative AI, it could be a huge blow to artists fighting against the use of artifical intelligence in the industry. Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that many rival companies will follow in Sphere’s footsteps because of the immense cost of these revivals.
Enjoy ScreenRant’s box office coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly box office newsletter (make sure to check “Box Office” in your preferences) and get exclusive analysis, predictions, and more:
Sign Up
