10 Things You Never Knew About 2001: A Space Odyssey
From tree-recluse myths to Cinerama bait, Kubrick's masterpiece was built on weird pivots and secret deals.
British science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke in 1965 — ITU Pictures, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Where to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey ↓The Definitive Sci-Fi Obsession
After Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick pitched MGM a serious sci-fi epic about extraterrestrial life. He wanted nothing less than the definitive good sci-fi movie.
Cinerama Bait
Money came with a format promise. Kubrick told MGM the film would be shot in Cinerama, the ultra-widescreen process the studio had just used for How the West Was Won.
A scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey, a 1968 film directed by Stanley Kubrick. — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
England, Not Hollywood
Almost the whole movie was made in southern England at MGM-British Studios and Shepperton Studios where Kubrick lived. The production was set up to qualify for the Eady Levy, a UK tax incentive for British film production.
Tree-Recluse Meetup
Kubrick first met Arthur C. Clarke on April 22, 1964 at Trader Vic's in New York. He'd previously assumed Clarke was a recluse living in a tree.
Childhood's End Was Taken
Kubrick's first pick was Childhood's End, but director Abraham Polonsky already had the rights optioned. Clarke offered six short stories instead, and The Sentinel became the source material.
Title Roulette
Before settling, the film cycled through Journey Beyond The Stars, Universe, Tunnel to the Stars, and Planetfall. In April 1965 Kubrick landed on 2001: A Space Odyssey, inspired by Homer's The Odyssey.
Movie First, Book Later
The screenplay and novel were developed in parallel, not book-first as planned. That meant the film hit theaters before the published novel.
Kubrick Cryptic, Clarke Chatty
Kubrick kept the film deliberately cryptic with minimal dialogue and explanation. Clarke went the opposite way in the novel, adding much more explicit explanations of the monolith and Star Gate.
Sagan Says No Little Green Men
In 1964 Carl Sagan consulted with Kubrick and Clarke. He argued humanoid aliens would feel false and urged the film to merely suggest extraterrestrial superintelligence instead.
HAL Was Almost Athena
HAL 9000 started out as a female character named Athena after the Greek goddess of wisdom. The role was later changed to a male character named HAL.