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How Exactly Do You Expect ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ to Work at the Sphere?

By Rachel Leishman Jun 18th, 2026, 12:30 pm
Dr. Frank-N-Furter poses with two nurses in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"

Las Vegas as a lot of fun touristy things to do. Heading to The Sphere is one of them. The 360 theater is used for concerts, movies, and more. Including their own version of The Wizard of Oz. Their next film has been announced and it is certainly going to be interesting to see.

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show was announced as the next film set to head to The Sphere and I have some questions. The musical is a cult classic and an iconic film in queer movie history. But it also has a very specific kind of reaction for fans in theaters that I don’t necessary think the Sphere will know how to handle. If Broadway struggled, why do you think Vegas will do better?

During the show, audience participates in a number of ways. They throw toast, yell back at the screen, and typically people act the show out before them as the movie plays. How the Sphere plans to capture that magic, I don’t exactly know.

“Through Sphere Studios, we are building a slate of original experiences that push the boundaries of technology and storytelling for this new medium, while always keeping the audience at the center of the experience,” said Jim Dolan, Sphere Entertainment’s executive chairman and CEO. “Since ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ premiered in 1975, it redefined audience participation and became a cultural phenomenon. With Sphere, we have the opportunity to take that spirit of immersion to an entirely new level.” 

Rocky Horror has never been a commercial thing. It was, for years, the cult classic that cool moms would show their kids (in my case) or people would pass down the film one generation after another. As the internet grew, so did the understanding and love for The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The Sphere feels like the wrong place for Rocky Horror

The Criminologist - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(20th Century Studios)

The Wizard of Oz makes sense to me. It is universally loved, parents show their kids the film at a young age, and families can go together. Rocky Horror has always been about finding the show and celebrating that together. Whether it be a small theater or even a small Broadway house like Studio 54, the show has always felt intimate and like it belonged to the audience who loved it.

Putting it on a huge screen like in The Sphere almost feels like it will lose the spark of what makes Rocky Horror so special. Maybe I will be proven wrong and the Sphere will make this something that feels right at home for Rocky Horror but I am…concerned.

(featured image: 20th Century)

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Rachel Leishman - Editor in Chief

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is the Editor in Chief of the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.