Sphere’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ Re-Launch Was One in all 2025’s Highest Grossing Movies—for One Huge Purpose

One film, from one venue, cracked the highest 10 highest-grossing movies of 2025. That sounds not possible till you understand that the specific venue charges almost 10 times what different theaters cost for that film and has approach, far more seats.

The film is 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, and the venue is the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. A new report claims that the highly controversial re-release of the movie in the expansive, immersive venue grossed $260 million in 2025, and it did so in mainly solely 4 months, having opened in late August. That locations it quantity 10 on an inventory of highest-grossing domestic film releases in 2025.

After all, motion pictures like Learn how to Practice Your Dragon (quantity 9 at $262 million) or The Improbable 4: First Steps (quantity eight at $274 million) cost roughly $15 relying on the place or whenever you see them, whereas tickets for The Wizard of Oz at Sphere usually begin round $100, and the venue is considerably larger than most film theaters, seating over 18,000. So it’s not precisely a good comparability, but it surely’s nonetheless form of attention-grabbing.

With the news of the grosses, in addition to a brand new Sphere opening up close to Washington D.C., Sphere CEO James Dolan revealed that an Oz 2.0 can be coming later this yr, with all new results, and that there aren’t any plans for the movie to cease enjoying anytime quickly. “What’s the lifespan of Wizard of Oz? It wouldn’t shock me if we had been displaying Wizard of Oz 10 years from now,” Dolan stated.

When the primary pictures and video of this new model of The Wizard of Oz had been launched, the net backlash was fast and cruel. Many complained about how the brand new results and remastering fully modified the look of the unique movie. Then, once it was revealed that AI was used to assist develop among the pictures for the expertise, it bought even worse. Nonetheless, it certain looks as if that fervor hasn’t performed something to dial again curiosity from Las Vegas vacationers.

I used to be in Las Vegas just a few weeks in the past, and the crowds in and across the Sphere for The Wizard of Oz had been surprisingly massive. I even noticed followers attending exhibits dressed up because the characters from the film. Plus, you may’t get discounted seats like different Las Vegas exhibits. It’s nonetheless fashionable and being profitable. Some huge cash. Actual Hollywood blockbuster cash. And, if it retains going at this price, it’s going to affix the likes of Avatar and the Avengers within the billion membership after which some.

As for what motion pictures might subsequent make the bounce to Sphere, nothing is official. Rumors have run rampant about mega franchises like Star Wars or Harry Potter, however none of that’s official. Dolan did reveal a film referred to as From the Edge was within the works, made by the workforce behind Free Solo and it “chronicles excessive sports activities athletes.” Nevertheless, whereas that movie can be performed later this yr, there aren’t any plans to cease displaying The Wizard of Oz anytime quickly. “We plan on mainly working Wizard of Oz till we see the demand begin to fall off,” Dolan stated. “That might be rather a lot longer than a yr.”

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