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Las Vegas is about to get much more magical due to AI. This summer time, “The Wizard of Oz” will return to the display, however not simply any display. The iconic 1939 movie is being remodeled into a totally immersive expertise on the Sphere, the huge, high-tech leisure venue that has already wowed audiences with its jaw-dropping visuals.
But right here’s the twist: This isn’t only a easy remaster. Google, Warner Bros., and a staff of AI specialists have spent months utilizing AI to develop, improve, and reimagine the beloved traditional for the Sphere’s 160,000-square-foot, 16Ok-resolution display.
Why AI? Because CGI simply wasn’t sufficient
The authentic “Wizard of Oz” was shot on 35mm movie, which is modest by at present’s requirements, and blowing it as much as match the Sphere’s gigantic show would usually make it look blurry or pixelated. But with AI, the staff didn’t simply stretch the picture — they rebuilt it.
Using Google’s superior AI fashions together with Imagen, Veo, and Gemini, they enhanced each body, sharpening particulars like Dorothy’s freckles and Toto’s fur. They used AI to reconstruct scenes, bringing beforehand off-screen characters into view, akin to together with Uncle Henry in scenes the place he was initially out of body.
Google engineers thought it was inconceivable
At first, even Google’s engineers weren’t certain they may pull it off. “The models, they’re wildly innovative,” mentioned Dr. Steven Hickson, a Google DeepMind researcher on the “Wizard of Oz” mission. “We’d find something we can’t do, we think it’s impossible, and then a month later we’re like, actually, maybe we can do that.”
The greatest problem was ensuring the AI didn’t simply guess what the lacking components ought to appear to be — it needed to keep true to the unique. To do that, the staff dug by means of Warner Bros.’ archives, feeding the AI capturing scripts, manufacturing illustrations, behind-the-scenes pictures, set plans, and music scores to maintain every part correct.
What to anticipate when “The Wizard of Oz” + AI opens
Although AI enhanced greater than 90% of the movie, the staff insists they haven’t altered the guts of the story. Starting August 28, audiences on the Sphere will see “The Wizard of Oz” like by no means earlier than — with AI-enhanced visuals, expanded scenes, and immersive sensory results like scent, warmth, and wind.
“When you have innovation like this, you don’t always know where it’s going to go,” mentioned Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO of Sphere Entertainment. “You have to be able to take a leap of faith. What you’re going to see in ‘The Wizard of Oz at Sphere’ is clearly a leap of faith.”
