Warner Bros. Pictures Celebrates 50 Years of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey

‘Unrestored’ 70mm print of Kubrick’s landmark 1968 masterpiece to be released in select U.S. theatres, following world premiere at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, introduced by filmmaker Christopher Nolan.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Celebrating the 50^th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Warner Bros. Pictures will debut an ‘unrestored’ 70mm print of the director’s groundbreaking science fiction epic at the 71^st annual Cannes Film Festival. Widely considered among the greatest films of the 20^th century, 2001: A Space Odyssey will return to select U.S. theatres in 70mm beginning May 18, 2018.

Set for Saturday, May 12, the world premiere will be held during the Cannes Classics section of the Festival, featuring an introduction by award-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan. The screening will also be attended by members of Stanley Kubrick’s family, including his daughter, Katharina Kubrick, and longstanding producing partner and brother-in-law, Jan Harlan.

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.

This is the unrestored film that recreates the cinematic event audiences experienced 50 years ago.

A longtime admirer of the late American auteur, Nolan worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. Pictures throughout the mastering process.

Christiane Kubrick said, “I’m delighted that 2001: A Space Odyssey will be reissued in 70mm, and that Cannes has chosen to honour it. If Stanley were alive today, we know he would be in admiration of the films of Christopher Nolan. And so, on behalf of Stanley’s family, I would personally like to thank Christopher for supporting his film.”

Nolan stated, “One of my earliest memories of cinema is seeing Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, 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, and of introducing our new unrestored 70mm print of Kubrick’s masterpiece in all its analogue glory at the Cannes Film Festival is an honour and a privilege.”

Nolan will also participate in a Cannes Masterclass, set for Sunday, May 13, during which he will discuss his highly acclaimed filmography and also share his passion for the singular work of Stanley Kubrick.

For this milestone anniversary, Warner Bros. will continue the celebration later this year when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time in 4K resolution with HDR. Also produced in close collaboration with Nolan, the home entertainment release will be available in the fall of 2018.

With 2001: A Space Odyssey, director Stanley Kubrick redefined the limits of filmmaking and cemented his legacy as one of the most revolutionary and influential film directors of all time. Originally released in 70mm Cinerama roadshow format on April 4, 1968, the film ignited the imaginations of critics and audiences alike and its impact continues to resonate to this day.

An award-winning director, writer and producer, Christopher Nolan most recently earned dual Academy Award nominations, for Best Director and Best Picture, for his experiential tour-de-force Dunkirk, which in July of 2017 received the largest 70mm release in the last quarter century. His diverse filmography also includes Interstellar, Inception, the blockbuster Dark Knight Trilogy, The Prestige and Memento, for which he received his first Oscar nomination, for Best Original Screenplay.