Posted Mon Nov 12, 2018 at 10:21 AM PST by Tom Landy
11/12/2018 UPDATE: Just in from Warners' PR agency: "There is a replication delay in finishing 2001: A Space Odyssey 4K UHD and Blu-ray product. The street date for this title is now 12/18/18." As previously reported, some of our readers were lucky and received their copies early or on time for the original 10/30/2018 street date. The rest of us (including our HDD Review screener) will have to wait a touch longer.
10/29/2018 UPDATE: And after all the delay news, some of our readers started getting their copies of 2001 over the weekend, ahead of the most recent 10/30/2018 street date. At this time, it's unclear as to what's exactly happening, but my guess is that pre-orders are being fulfilled and we won't see this title in stores until 11/20.
10/24/2018 UPDATE: Warner Bros. has postponed Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray again. Based on the 70mm restoration efforts supervised by Christopher Nolan, we've been eagerly anticipating 2001 opening the pod bay doors to 4K Dolby Vision next Tuesday. But alas, the mission is now delayed three weeks, until November 20th. If you're worried this means there's something wrong, we understand. But there's nothing to worry about. To quote the Warners' PR rep handling this release, "I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission."
Previous: Stanley Kubrick’s dazzling, Academy Award®-winning achievement is a compelling drama of man vs. machine, a stunning meld of music and motion. Kubrick (who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke) first visits our prehistoric ape-ancestry past, then leaps millennia (via one of the most mind-blowing jump cuts ever) into colonized space, and ultimately whisks astronaut Bowman (Keir Dullea) into uncharted space, perhaps even into immortality. “Open the pod bay doors, HAL.” Let an awesome journey unlike any other begin.
For the first time since the original release, new 70mm prints were struck from pristine printing elements made from the original camera negative. A longtime admirer of the late American auteur, Christopher Nolan worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. Pictures throughout the mastering process.
Building on the work done for the new 70mm prints, the 4K UHD with HDR presentation was mastered from the 65mm original camera negative. The 4K UHD also includes both a remixed and restored 5.1 DTS-HD master audio track, as well as the original 1968 6-track theatrical audio mix (formatted for 5.1 DTS-HD master audio).
“2001 to me is the most cinematic film that has ever been made and it has been an honour and a privilege to be able to share the film with a new generation,” said Nolan. “4K UHD allows the closest recreation of viewing the original film print in your own home. Kubrick’s masterpiece was originally presented on large format film and the deeper colour palette and superior resolution comes closest to matching the original analogue presentation.”
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. The film was directed and produced by Kubrick and written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, inspired by Clarke’s short story “The Sentinel.” The film stars Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood.
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 2017 received the largest 70mm release in the last quarter century. His diverse filmography also includes Interstellar, Inception, the blockbuster The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Prestige, and Memento, for which he received his first Oscar® nomination, for Best Original Screenplay.
The 2001: A Space Odyssey 4K UHD premium packaging will be available on October 30 at the suggested retail price (SRP) of $41.99, and includes the feature film in 4K resolution with HDR, a remastered Blu-ray disc with the feature film in hi-definition, a Blu-ray disc with the special features in hi-definition, and a Digital version of the feature film. The premium packaging also includes a collectible booklet and art cards featuring iconic images from the film.
In addition to being included with the 4K UHD, the remastered Blu-ray disc with the feature film in hi-definition will also be available on October 30 as a standalone product for $19.98 SRP.
4K Ultra HD showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.
The 4K UHD Blu-ray disc of 2001: A Space Odyssey will feature Dolby VisionTM HDR that dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame.
Supplements include:
You can find the latest specs for 2001: A Space Odyssey - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray linked from our 4K Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under October 30.
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