Up Next at the Vegas Sphere: ‘Harry Potter’? ‘Star Wars’?

• The Sphere’s reimagined “Wizard of Oz” is reportedly pulling in up to $2 million per day
• As a result, the Sphere is looking for other films to adapt to its unique venue
• Potential candidates include titles from “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars”

In the wake of the financial success of the Sphere-ified “Wizard of Oz,” Sphere CEO James Dolan has spoken to Warner Bros. about licensing additional films for immersive adaptation. According to Bloomberg, the short list includes modern blockbusters from the “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars” franchises — though the report didn’t reveal the status of either of those negotiations, and buried the lede deep in a broader financial piece.

Despite pushback from purists — some bristling at the idea of a childhood classic reimagined as a theme park ride, others objecting to the 27 minutes that were cut out to facilitate additional daily screenings — audiences are still showing up in droves to judge for themselves.

And because the film runs even during days when concerts are scheduled the same evening, Sphere could surpass $1 billion in gross within two years — a staggering potential turnaround for a venue that posted an $82.4 million operating loss last quarter.

Follow the Green Brick Road

Wolfe Research estimates Sphere will earn $200 million from concerts this year, while movie revenue will double that. The reason? Sphere keeps roughly 70% of film ticket revenue, compared to the much-slimmer margins left after paying headlining artists. Movie licensing fees account for most of the remainder of the movie profits.

And unlike traditional theatrical releases that burn out after a few weeks across hundreds of screens, Sphere’s films are exclusive to one venue.

Dolan licensed the rights to the 1939 MGM classic from Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, a longtime friend, a story that Casino.org’s own Vital Vegas broke to the world last June.

Dolan then sank nearly $100 million — twice the amount he originally budgeted — into retrofitting the film, with copious help from AI, to Sphere’s 16K wraparound screen. He also rerecorded the soundtrack with over 80 musicians on the original MGM scoring stage, and added immersive effects such as:

• Three industrial fans, powered by 750-horsepower EV motors, that simulate the tornado lifting Dorothy’s house
• Drone-operated flying monkeys that hover above the audience
• Foam apples, dropped from the ceiling just before the apple tree encounter

Check out the tornado scene yourself…

“Ultimately, we’ll run ‘The Wizard of Oz’ forever,” Dolan said during a call with analysts on September 9, later adding, “It’s hard for me to imagine a better product.”