2001: A Space Odyssey
1968 film by Stanley Kubrick · Released 1968
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke. Its plot was inspired by several short stories optioned from Clarke, primarily "The Sentinel" (1951) and "Encounter in the Dawn" (1953). The film stars Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Douglas Rain, and follows a voyage by astronauts, scientists, and the sentient supercomputer HAL 9000 to Jupiter to investigate an alien monolith. The film is noted for its scientifically accurate depiction of spaceflight, pioneering special effects, and ambiguous themes.
Cast ages when filming began (December 29, 1965)
- Keir Dullea, as Dr David Bowman: 29
- Gary Lockwood, as Dr Frank Poole: 28
- William Sylvester, as Dr Heywood Floyd: 43
- Leonard Rossiter, as Dr Andrei Smyslov: 39
- Margaret Tyzack, as Elena: 34
- Robert Beatty, as Dr Ralph Halvorsen: 56
- Sean Sullivan, as Dr Roy Michaels: 42
- Douglas Rain, as the voice of HAL 9000: 37
- Ed Bishop: 33
- Ann Gillis, as Poole's mother: 38
- Vivian Kubrick, as Floyd's daughter: 5
- Kenneth Kendall, as BBC announcer: 41
- Bill Weston: 24
- Alan Gifford, as Poole's father: 54
- Arthur C. Clarke: 48