I first went to Sphere in Las Vegas for a concert in early 2024, and I was amazed by the visuals and the sound. When it was reported that the groundbreaking venue could be adapting The Wizard of Oz for its incredible 160,000-square-foot screen, I immediately started daydreaming about what movies I would love to see at the venue. Here is the list I came up with—well, at least some of the movies I would love to see at Sphere.
Star Wars
The first movie I thought of when I started dreaming up this list was, of course, Star Wars. Just the thought of that opening scene of the two starships flying across the enormous screen provides me with vivid dreams. Not only that, but can you imagine that famous John Williams score blasting through that incredible sound system? It's overwhelming, in the best way.
Gladiator
Do you want to be entertained? Think of Gladiator on the screen at Sphere. From the opening battle scene in the forests of Germany to the final showdown between Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, it would be a cinematic experience like no other.
Avengers: Endgame
Really, for this one, it all comes down to that final battle with Thanos on the biggest screen in the world. So much happened in that scene, and so much work went into it, that it all seems right to see it on the massive screen with the insane resolution.
Fantasia
Really, this one is all about the music. Sure, it would be incredible to see the vintage animation on that screen, but the sound system, which includes 1,586 speakers, would deliver that amazing classical music soundtrack that would sound absolutely incredible. The visuals would be one incredible bonus. At the least, maybe Disney should make a new version of Fantasia made just for Sphere
Lawrence Of Arabia
One of the first movies I thought of that I would love to see on that giant screen is the classic Lawrence Of Arabia. It's a movie I've never had the opportunity to see in any theater, much less the largest theater in the world. Seeing those incredible, vast vistas sweeping across the screen would be a mind-blowing experience. It's worth noting that for a movie that is really long, the seats in Sphere are very comfortable.
The Dark Knight
To be honest, as much as I'd love to see the best Batman movie on Sphere's screen, I do worry that the intense (and incredible) action sequences make the audience motion sick. Being immersed in those car chases and the other huge set pieces might actually be too intense. On second thought, it would absolutely be worth the risk.
Jurassic Park
Not only do I want to see the dinosaurs 10 stories tall (or whatever it is), but there is one other feature that Sphere has that no other theater has - rumble seats. That's right, the seats vibrate. Now, imagine the scene with the T-Rex approaching, as the ground is shaking enough to make ripples in the water glass. Now imagine shaking with the ground in the movie. Wow. What an experience that would be.
The Sound Of Music
A musical like The Sound of Music would be simply beautiful on the screen at Sphere. The magical vistas across the Alps would be incredible and the clarity of the music would be unlikely any other experience in any other theater. The hills would really be alive.
The Thin Red Line
No other war film has been as beautiful as director Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line. The cinematography and the sound design are absolutely perfect for the technology that only Sphere can provide. It's an intense war movie, but it's the best war movie to see on screen like this.
Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban
Without question, I think there would need to be at least one Harry Potter movie adapted for Sphere. I can't think of a better one than Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban. Director Alfonso Cuarón's imprint is all over the movie, especially visually, and for that reason, it's the perfect choice. Plus, the bus scene by itself would make the price of admission worth it.
Dunkirk
You just knew this one had to be on the list. Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is a visual masterpiece and one of the best war movies ever. It deserves the Sphere treatment. Nolan loves to shoot in IMAX and Sphere is like an IMAX screen on steroids. Just dreaming about watching the Spitfires move across the immense screen fills me with joy. I can't imagine how it would really look.
2001: A Space Odyssey
There are so many aspects of 2001: A Space Odyssey that would be amazing. The spacewalk and all the scenes in the spaceship would just be so trippy to watch at Sphere. That's not to mention the trippiest part of the movie, the third act with the color and light and the totally wild ending. It would be like a rock concert in there.
Top Gun
The opening sequence to Top Gun, with the souring guitar of Harold Faltermeyer's theme music and all the action on the deck of the aircraft carrier, would suck audiences straight in. By the time "Danger Zone" started everyone would be fully entranced. Then we'd get to the flying scenes. Wow.
Avatar
I'm not actually a huge fan of Avatar, but that doesn't matter, because I appreciate how amazing it looks on the big screen. Putting it on the biggest screen in the world - and in 3-D - and I'll bet I'd be a convert. I'd become a huge fan of it.
Braveheart
Braveheart is another movie I'm not actually a huge fan of. It's a wildly historically inaccurate movie, and that drives me nuts. That said, visually it's an incredible achievement and for that reason alone, I'm ready to see it on the screen at Sphere. The Battle of Stirling Bridge would be absolutely insane to watch.
Black Panther
I love Black Panther and seeing Wakanda on a screen the size of Sphere would be an amazing experience. Wakanda is one of the coolest places in the entire MCU, visually, and the final battle would absolutely incredible,
The Great Escape
The Great Escape is classic old-school Hollywood. It's chock full of larger-than-life movie stars like Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough. It's also filled with amazing vistas across Bavaria that would look absolutely amazing on a giant screen. It also has one of my favorite scores of all time, so that would be an excellent bonus through those speakers.
Saving Private Ryan
I think you all know my thoughts here. The opening of Saving Private Ryan is one of the most incredible scenes ever put on film. It's terrifying and amazing. It is one of the most white-knuckle theater experiences I've ever had and seeing it on the screen at Sphere would be a completely visceral experience that would absolutely blow my mind.
Skyfall
I love the James Bond franchise and as much as I love the Connery era, it doesn't make any sense for one of those movies to be adapted for Sphere. The Craig-era, on the other hand, has multiple choices. I landed on Skyfall because it's full of wide angel amazing shots and action set pieces. The opening scene of Spectre was tempting, but Skyfall gets the nod.
Oppenheimer
This one may seem like an odd one, but that's only if you didn't have a chance to see Oppenheimer in 70mm IMAX. Like most of Christopher Nolan, the bigger the screen, the better, so catching the Best Picture-winner on a screen like the one at Sphere would be totally bonkers. Talk about a "big boom"!
Ghostbusters
There is one reason to see Ghostbusters get the Sphere treatment. Who doesn't want to see a 100-foot-tall Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? I know I certainly do! Sure, the rest of the movie might not work all that well, a giant Bill Murray getting slimed may be too much for anyone, but I'd be willing to deal with that for the last battle of the movie on the streets of New York with the fictional marshmallow man.
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
The cliff. That's why Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid would work so well. That scene alone would make it all worth it. It would be such an adrenaline rush to see two of the biggest movie stars of all time, Paul Newman and Robert Redford, drop 100 feet down that huge screen.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Something like 19,000 people can fill Sphere when it's at full capacity. So how about all 19K doing "The Time Warp" together with that sound system blasting the music in The Rocky Horror Picture Show? I grew up going to midnight showings and seeing it with a huge crowd of dedicated fans would simply be amazing. Plus I keep thinking about that scene in the beginning as the camera zooms in on the criminologist played by Charles Gray. In the midnight showings, someone always "climbed" his tie as it zoomed in. I need to see that here.
The Hunt For Red October
The Hunt For Red October is rightfully criticized these days for the sketchy special effects in the underwater scenes. But the above-water stuff is still incredibly cool and watching the submarine battle take place on the screen at Sphere is totally worth having to deal with the rest. Plus I just love the movie.
The Matrix
How much really needs to be explained here? Is there anybody that wouldn't want to see The Matrix at Sphere? Of course not, it would be amazing.
Ben-Hur
This is another one that is pretty self-explanatory. Ben-Hur is one of the most legendary epics in Hollywood history and there is no place like Sphere to see an epic on this scale. The chariot race alone, especially with the chairs vibrating with every crash, would be worth whatever the cost to see it would be,
Patton
A 160,000-square-foot American flag with the great George C. Scott playing the titular Patton at the beginning of the movie would be completely overwhelming in the very best way. It's enough to make anyone patriotic!
Rocky IV
Of all the Rocky movies, Rocky IV is the "biggest." The muscles are bigger, the set pieces are bigger, and the villain is bigger. It's just a huge movie, visually, and for that reason, even if it's not the best Rocky movie, it's the one that makes the most sense for this list.
Dances With Wolves
No one can argue that Dances With Wolves isn't a visually stunning movie. Director Kevin Costner did an amazing job showing what the American frontier was once like. The cinematography alone makes it worthy of the Sphere treatment.
Bridge Over The River Kwai
Like the other classic epics on this list, Bridge Over The River Kwai is one of those movies that has always meant to have been on the biggest screens possible. Direct David Lean is a master of movies like that and really, his whole filmography would work for Sphere.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
This one seems like another no-brainer. With scenes like the rolling boulder at the beginning and the scene at the end when they make the poor decision to open the ark, there is just so much in Raiders of the Lost Ark that would look amazing on the giant screen. Then there is the John Williams score which would be amazing by itself with that incredible concert-quality speaker system.
Tron: Legacy
When I first saw Tron: Legacy in theaters, I was completely blown away by the CGI and the visuals. While the original Tron changed the way films were made with the use of computer-generated imagery, the sequel upped the ante significantly. Seeing those amazing effects at Sphere would raise that even more, which is appropriate for Las Vegas.
