AI-enhanced 'Wizard of Oz' debuts in Las Vegas

Swirling winds, drone-operated monkeys and artificial intelligence brought new life to The Wizard of Oz on Thursday at the premiere of an immersive version of the Hollywood classic in Las Vegas. A yellow-brick carpet, mimicking the yellow brick road in the film, led to the entrance of Sphere, a high-tech, dome-shaped entertainment venue that is showing the update of the 1939 movie musical.

Premiere attendees included Lorna Luft, whose mother Judy Garland played Dorothy in the movie.

“We are finally off to see the wizard!” Sphere Entertainment CEO James Dolan told the crowd. “What you’re about to see tonight is our most powerful example yet of experiential storytelling in this new media.”

Some cinema lovers have recoiled at the idea of tinkering with a classic film. Workers in Hollywood also are wary that artificial intelligence will be used to replace human work. Dolan said audiences would be wowed by the new Wizard of Oz experience.

“For the first time, you’re going to feel like you’re part of the story,” he said.