The Wolf in Munchkin's Clothing

“The Wizard of Oz at Sphere” is a phrase that should never exist but it does. Some idiot (or probably a bunch of idiots) decided it was a good idea to bastardize one of the most beloved films in cinematic history using generative AI as their weapon.

Released pictures and videos of what the film would look like projected inside The Sphere in Las Vegas don’t just show the bastardized version. They highlight disrespect for the cinematic arts, a lack of imagination, and a sour look on the industry today.

To make this version, where “over 90% of the film has been ‘touched up’ with AI,” is to both not actually appreciate the film but also to think less of audiences today. There is nothing wrong with the format and imagery of the film. It’s beautiful. Period. Its vibrant technicolor has captivated audiences for generations, to the point where the Library of Congress has included it in its National Film Registry. There is no reason to believe that magic cannot be continued to be felt by audiences today.

To alter this film anyway is to not only distrust the entire history of cinema, but to also distrust modern audiences. It may be true that iPad kids roam the planet, but that does not mean they need a new kind spectacle to appreciate movies. They don’t need a warped and, again, bastardized version of a film to be entertained. Even for the adults in the audience who have seen this film before, I don’t believe this genAI version even comes close to being some kind of enhancement.

From the pictures and videos released, it’s downright ugly. The once magical and fantastical matte background paintings used in the original film are replaced with a bland landscape shot, one that you might find as an option as a desktop screensaver. The strange new perspective forced upon the audience is disorienting and takes away the original director’s intention of how the frame should look. The idiots who had “the power of AI” at their fingertips could not be bothered to use that power to make equally fantastical and magical backgrounds and shots.

If the released pictures and videos of their bastardization are indicative of the whole project, I would not be surprised if every ounce of cinematic magic from The Wizard of Oz has been wrung out. This is not the future of cinema. This is an offshoot, a mutated development, that is bound to die off soon because of its inherent disconnect and disrespect for the format, the art, the history, and the audiences. And I haven’t even mentioned that tickets are going for $200.

Andrew Proctor is a film editor, queer film historian, and creative producer, as well as a contributor to The Forum. He resides in the New York City area.