Believe it or not, it is now 50 years since ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ was first released in movie theaters. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this masterpiece was an adaptation of the short story ‘The Sentinel’ by Arthur C. Clarke. Many people consider this film as one of the greatest movies of all time. Although younger generations may not have heard of this film, they will now have the opportunity to see it for themselves.
Warner Bros. is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the film by releasing it for a second time on May 18. Via ‘The Wrap’, 70 mm version of the film is being released in select theaters only. The studio has said that this version is the unrestored one. This means it is the film as it was when it was originally taken from the camera negatives. They wanted to give the film a retro feel, so it is as close to the original ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ as it is possible to achieve. There are no revisited edits, remastered effects, and no digital tricks.
This is something that will probably appeal to cinephiles as it is a long time since this film was shown on the big screen at it is the closest thing to Stanley Kubrick’s original vision for the film as it is ever likely that moviegoers will see.
The Cannes Film Festival has even shown an interest in the re-release of this movie as it has included a screening of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ in its itinerary. It is rumored that director Christopher Nolan has been lined up to introduce this screening.
If you were hoping that news of the limited screening would mean that the unrestored version is set to be released on Blu-Ray and DVD, then you will be sadly disappointed as there are no current plans to do this. However, Warner Bros. is planning on releasing a fully restored version of the film for home video later in the year.
The 1968 science-fiction film is often referred to as Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ as he co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke as well as producing and directing the movie. It starred Keir Duella, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Douglas Rain, and Daniel Richter. The film follows a voyage to Jupiter which uncovers a threat to human evolution.
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ was a commercial success as it grossed $190 million from a budget of around $12 million. It also received great critical acclaim and was particularly praised for its accurate depiction of space travel and for the effects used in the movie. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and Kubrick won one for his direction of visual effects.
This movie is now considered one of the greatest movies of all-time and was selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1991. The releasee of the film led to the publication of a novel by the same name and also to a 1984 sequel ‘2010: The Year We Make Contact’, which was directed by Peter Hyams.
Follow Us
