Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Celebrates 50th Anniversary With Limited Theater Run
Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey turns 50 this year. In keeping with the film's legacy, there are plans for a theatrical re-release.
Celebrating An Undisputed Classic
First up, there's a special anniversary screening planned for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Christopher Nolan, a super-fan of the movie and a celebrated filmmaker in his own right, will introduce the film for a select gathering of lucky cinephiles.
Fear not, however, as Warner Bros. is also trotting the movie out to theaters to celebrate its golden anniversary. A stunning 70mm print will screen in select locations starting May 18.
"For the first time since the original release, this 70mm print was struck from new printing elements made from the original camera negative. This is a true photochemical film recreation. There are no digital tricks, remastered effects, or revisionist edits," said the studio of the upcoming release.
Kubrick's wife, Christiane, was enthusiastic about the new print.
"I'm delighted that '2001: A Space Odyssey' will be reissued in 70mm, and that Cannes has chosen to honor it," she said.
Seeing the movie in theaters is one of Nolan's earliest memories, and the movie Interstellar is his take on the legacy of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
"[I saw it] in 70mm, at the Leicester Square Theatre in London with my father. The opportunity to be involved in recreating that experience for a new generation ... is an honor and a privilege," he gushed.
Those who are unable to catch the movie in theaters can look forward to the home video release, due later this year.
A Far-Reaching Effect On The World
2001: A Space Odyssey is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, influencing almost everybody and everything that came in its wake.
Wally Pfister, the cinematographer on Nolan's Inception, claimed the film even inspired him to go into his current field. He described the experience of watching it with his father as a child.
"Ten years later, I dropped acid to watch an anniversary screening," he added. Pfister also acknowledged it's taken the intervening 50 years for visual effects to catch up with 2001.
Likewise, Douglas Turnbull, who was the special effects supervisor on the film, gushed about how lucky he felt coming to work every day.
Turnbull admitted to meeting several scientists over the years who credit the movie for getting them into the field, which means that its influence extends beyond movie buffs.
