Hollywood's Biggest AI Debut: 'The Wizard of Oz' Transformed Inside Las Vegas Sphere

By putting viewers within the movie, filmmakers have reinvented 'The Wizard of Oz' in a way that L. Frank Baum and his 1939 film crew could hardly have envisioned. The event, which is scheduled to make its debut at the Las Vegas Sphere on 28th August, turns the 1939 classic into a sensory-rich spectacular. 

With its renowned 160,000-square-foot wraparound LED screen, the venue will project the movie in ultra-high 16K quality, engulfing the crowd. With 750 horsepower fans whipping up wind and debris, it will even replicate the tornado that transports Dorothy's house to Oz.

Image Courtesy: Reuters

The revolutionary application of generative AI technologies is what really makes this stand out. In order to preserve Judy Garland's legendary performance, Google's DeepMind, Google Cloud, and Sphere Studios collaborated to apply AI "super-resolution," "outpainting," and performance production to improve film imagery and expand visuals beyond the original frame. Without changing the performers' original work, this made it possible to add new background extensions, more detailed information, and more engaging storytelling.

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AI, LEDs, and 4D Effects Collide

To bring Oz to Sphere, more than 2,000 researchers, engineers, and creatives from Sphere, Google DeepMind, Warner Bros., Magnopus, and other companies worked together for two years. A re-recorded orchestral score, 167,000 speakers, haptic chairs, wind, aroma, and even helium-filled flying monkeys are all used in the show to give the audience the impression that they are actually traveling the Yellow Brick Road.

Image Courtesy: The Hollywood Reporter

Nostalgia and Innovation Among Cinephiles

The technological prowess does not excite everyone. Purists argue that AI-enhanced adjustments run the risk of compromising the film's originality and sentimental appeal. However, the project's developers insist that all modifications were performed with respect and in accordance with stringent legal and artistic requirements; some even call the project a "AI quarantine zone" to guarantee that intellectual property remains safe and faithful.

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