Heâs the wonderful wizard of odd.
Billionaire Knicks owner James Dolan has given himself a brief appearance in the re-mastered version of “The Wizard of Oz,” which is currently being showcased at his high-tech music venue, the Sphere, in Las Vegas.
For fans paying over $100 for a ticket to this Oscar-winning classic, they might notice two peculiar characters with the faces of Dolan and Warner Bros. chief David Zaslav, digitally added onto a pair of munchkins.
“I won’t reveal where exactly, it’s only for about two seconds,” Dolan mentioned to the media during the premiere at the Sphere on Thursday. “[They] altered the faces of two very minor, two-second characters in the movie with mine and David’s. I dare you to spot it.”
Dolan — who also owns the Rangers and Madison Square Garden — embraced the theme by wearing the green top hat of the Wizard of Oz, transforming Sin City into a rendition of Emerald City.
Upon entering the Sphere’s Las Vegas Atrium, guests are instantly transported into Dorothy’s world, featuring a Kansas-themed, sepia-toned setting complete with a life-sized replica of Professor Marvel’s caravan.
After the show, the Atrium is transformed into the Emerald City â where guests can speak with the Wizard, who waits behind a tall curtain.
Moviegoers eager for a photo-op got an added surprise Thursday. Dolan, lounging on a green throne and holding a tall staff, greeted them.
Sphere Studios collaborated with Warner Bros. Discovery, Google and software firm Magnopus on the immersive project.
Other 4D special effects include high-powered fans and fog that create a tornado effect and audience members getting pelted with foam apples.
Though Judy Garland’s voice remains in the film, the Sphere has re-recorded the music with instruments at the same soundstage used for the original 1939 production.
Dolan admitted that using Googleâs AI tech to fit the film on the Sphereâs 160 square-foot display “went way over budget.”
âWe ended up almost two times what we were originally thinking. Weâre getting up pretty close to that $100 million mark â it was worth it,â he said.
