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

One film, from one venue, cracked the highest 10 highest-grossing movies of 2025. That sounds unimaginable till you understand that the specific venue charges almost 10 times what different theaters cost for that film and has means, 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 principally 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, films like Learn how to Practice Your Dragon (quantity 9 at $262 million) or The Incredible 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, however it’s nonetheless form of fascinating.

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 could be coming later this yr, with all new results, and that there aren’t any plans for the movie to cease taking part in 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 photos 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 utterly modified the look of the unique movie. Then, once it was revealed that AI was used to assist broaden among the photos for the expertise, it acquired even worse. However, it positive looks like that fervor hasn’t achieved something to dial again curiosity from Las Vegas vacationers.

I used to be in Las Vegas a number of 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 reveals dressed up because the characters from the film. Plus, you may’t get discounted seats like different Las Vegas reveals. It’s nonetheless in style and getting cash. 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 films 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 known as From the Edge was within the works, made by the workforce behind Free Solo and it “chronicles excessive sports activities athletes.” Nonetheless, whereas that movie could be achieved later this yr, there aren’t any plans to cease displaying The Wizard of Oz anytime quickly. “We plan on principally 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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