Summary
- Many iconic sci-fi movies, like Star Wars, Interstellar, and Contact, have been heavily influenced by Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
- The themes and visuals of 2001, such as the monoliths and HAL’s red light, have shaped the way sci-fi movies explore humanity’s place in the universe.
- Kubrick’s film has set a lasting standard for abstract storytelling in the genre, pushing filmmakers to create thought-provoking narratives.
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever made, so it’s no surprise that many other classics of the genre have taken inspiration from it. Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece represented a massive leap forward in terms of the technical side of sci-fi filmmaking, but it has also influenced the kinds of themes and stories that sci-fi movies attempt to tackle.
So many images from 2001: A Space Odyssey are now iconic – the towering monoliths, HAL’s intense red light, the kaleidoscopic space vortex – because they provide more questions than answers. Many sci-fi movies from the 1950s and 1960s traded in cheap thrills, but 2001 opened the door to abstract stories about humanity’s place in the universe and the deep isolation of the future we find ourselves living in. Over 50 years later, 2001 continues to shape the genre.
10 Star Wars (1977)
Star Wars Uses Kubrick’s Visual Language To Convey A Sense Of Occasion
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Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope Where to Watch
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Director George Lucas Release Date May 25, 1977 Cast Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Alec Guinness , David Prowse , James Earl Jones , Frank Oz , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Peter Mayhew , Peter Cushing
From the very first shot of George Lucas’ original Star Wars movie, right after the iconic text crawl, the influence of 2001: A Space Odyssey can be seen as a hulking spaceship silently drifts into view. John Williams’ classical-inspired score is another nod to Kubrick’s influence. Star Wars immediately conveys a sense of grand sci-fi spectacle to fit the story’s epic scale, just like 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The clean white interiors of the Galactic Empire spaceships and the franchise’s depictions of balletic movements in the black abyss of space are both extensions of Kubrick’s ideas.
As the Star Wars franchise has evolved over the years, it has developed its own distinctive visual language, but it retains a lot of its original inspiration. The clean white interiors of the Galactic Empire spaceships and the franchise’s depictions of balletic movements in the black abyss of space are both extensions of Kubrick’s ideas. Star Wars would probably have looked completely different without this influence.
9 Arrival (2016)
Arrival’s Visual Design And Cerebral Storyline Both Owe A Great Debt To Kubrick
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Arrival Where to Watch
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Director Denis Villeneuve Release Date November 10, 2016 Cast Michael Stuhlbarg , Forest Whitaker , Tzi Ma , Amy Adams , Mark O’Brien , Jeremy Renner , Nathaly Thibault
Arrival follows a linguist who gets brought in by the US military to decode the language of a species of mysterious aliens who make their way to Earth without warning. As she gradually begins to communicate with them, she starts to see the universe differently. This reflects the way that humanity makes a startling discovery on the moon and ventures out in search of answers in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The most obvious allusion to Kubrick’s work is in the design of
Arrival
‘s spaceships. The featureless ships rise vertically toward the sky.
Arrival‘s non-linear timeline is perfectly suited to the movie’s mind-bending narrative. Just like 2001: A Space Odyssey, the movie takes a more abstract turn in its third act. The most obvious allusion to Kubrick’s work, however, is in the design of Arrival‘s spaceships. The featureless ships rise vertically toward the sky. This evokes the dark obelisks of 2001: A Space Odyssey, especially since their presence ushers in a new dawn for humanity.
8 Interstellar (2014)
2001’s Influence Can Be Seen All Over Christopher Nolan’s Sci-Fi Masterpiece
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Interstellar Where to Watch
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Director Christopher Nolan Release Date November 7, 2014 Cast Matthew McConaughey , Anne Hathaway , Jessica Chastain , Ellen Burstyn , Michael Caine , Bill Irwin
Christopher Nolan has praised 2001: A Space Odyssey before, and it’s clear to see how it has impacted his own work as a director. The revolving corridor scene in Inception and the abstract interpretations of quantum concepts in Oppenheimer both seem inspired by Kubrick’s vision, but Interstellar contains many such tributes. The design of the ships and the space travel scenes wouldn’t look the same without the influence of 2001.
Interstellar
‘s references to
2001: A Space Odyssey
are more than skin deep.
Interstellar‘s references to 2001: A Space Odyssey are more than skin deep. The idea of humanity reaching up toward the stars in search of the next phase of progress has become an increasingly common theme after 2001. The eye-popping tesseract scene seems to be a variation of Dave traveling through the vortex, with the same bright lights, exciting music, and a new understanding of spacetime waiting for the character waiting on the other side.
7 Contact (1997)
Robert Zemeckis Tried To Recapture Kubrick’s Epic Scale
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Contact Where to Watch
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Director Robert Zemeckis Release Date July 11, 1997 Cast Jodie Foster , Matthew McConaughey , James Woods , John Hurt , Tom Skerritt
Contact stars Jodie Foster as a scientist who discovers a radio signal sent from deep space. The signal provides the schematics for a strange machine, and eventually the scientist gets to travel inside the machine to visit the extraterrestrials who designed it. The crew of Contact watched 2001: A Space Odyssey for inspiration during the movie’s production, and its influence is everywhere.
The crew of
Contact
watched
2001: A Space Odyssey
for inspiration during the movie’s production, and its influence is everywhere.
Contact makes particularly strong allusions to 2001: A Space Odyssey in its third act, as the scientist goes on a mind-bending journey to meet with a form of higher intelligence. This reflects Dave’s journey, and his eventual arrival in the bedroom prison where he spends the rest of his life. Contact borrows some of 2001: A Space Odyssey‘s visual tricks, but it also has a similarly thought-provoking exploration of man’s place in the universe.
6 Solaris (1972)
Tartakovsky Adds A More Human Touch To Some Of Kubrick’s Ideas
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Solaris (1972) Where to Watch
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Director Andrei Tarkovsky Release Date September 26, 1972 Cast Natalya Bondarchuk , Donatas Banionis , Jüri Järvet , Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy
Andrei Tartakovsky’s Soviet sci-fi masterpiece was released 4 years after 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it seeks to address some of the flaws that Tartakovsky perceived in Kubrick’s work. According to Tartakovksy, Western sci-fi at the time was too obsessed with technology and scientific theory, but it didn’t address anything about the human condition. If 2001: A Space Odyssey is designed to make the audience think, Solaris is meant to make them feel.
If
2001: A Space Odyssey
is designed to make the audience think,
Solaris
is meant to make them feel.
Despite Tartakovsky’s disdain for parts of 2001: A Space Odyssey, it’s hard to ignore some of the similarities shared between Solaris and Kubrick’s movie. Both plots feature isolated, melancholic space explorers, and both go about their business at a slow, deliberate pace. Solaris can’t rival the visual splendor of 2001, but whenever it comes close, it usually seems inspired by Kubrick’s work.
5 WALL-E (2008)
WALL-E Has Subtle 2001 References And One Obvious Tribute
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WALL-E Where to Watch
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Director Andrew Stanton Release Date June 27, 2008 Cast Ben Burtt , Elissa Knight , Jeff Garlin , Fred Willard , John Ratzenberger , Kathy Najimy , Sigourney Weaver
WALL-E was Pixar’s first sci-fi movie, and the studio looked to the visual language of 2001: A Space Odyssey as a blueprint for how to make a fittingly spectacular feast for the senses. Director Andrew Stanton creates a clear distinction between the scenes which show WALL-E on Earth and those which take place in outer space. Like in 2001, Earth is relatively fast-paced and a little messy.
Director Andrew Stanton creates a clear distinction between the scenes which show WALL-E on Earth and those which take place in outer space.
WALL-E presents a much friendlier and more human-friendly view of artificial intelligence than 2001 does. WALL-E can be seen as the complete opposite to HAL, in the sense that his emotions sometimes get in the way of his objectives. The movie contrasts his character with an unmistakable parody of HAL. The ship’s autopilot system, AUTO, even has the same bright red pulsing eye.
4 Gravity (2013)
Alfonso Cuarón’s Technological Marvel Has 2001’s Sense Of Wonder
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Gravity Where to Watch
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Director Alfonso Cuarón Release Date October 3, 2013 Cast Sandra Bullock , George Clooney , Ed Harris , Orto Ignatiussen , Paul Sharma , Amy Warren
2001: A Space Odyssey had an immense impact when it was first released because it looked so different from other sci-fi movies of the 1950s and 1960s. A combination of creative camera tricks and some clever practical effects sold the image of intergalactic travel and zero-gravity movement. It’s all but impossible to create the same kind of powerful impact in the era of green screen and CGI, but Gravity was another game-changer when it came out in 2013.
It’s all but impossible to create the same kind of powerful impact in the era of green screen and CGI, but
Gravity
was another game-changer when it came out in 2013.
Gravity uses many of the same techniques as 2001, especially in the way Alfonso Cuarón frames his protagonist against the callous void of space. However, the movie’s use of a revolutionary mechanical rig to make it look as if Sandra Bullock is suspended in outer space is wholly original. This continues the spirit of 2001, and it is just as perplexing to see on the big screen.
3 Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott And Stanley Kubrick Both Explore The Dangers Of Artificial Intelligence
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Alien (1979) Where to Watch
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Director Ridley Scott Release Date June 22, 1979 Cast Sigourney Weaver , Tom Skerritt , John Hurt , Veronica Cartwright , Harry Dean Stanton , Ian Holm , Yaphet Kotto , Bolaji Badejo
The design of the Nostromo is clearly inspired by the clean style of the craft in 2001: A Space Odyssey, although there are some dark corners of the expansive ship which seem completely detached. Far from the pristine crew quarters where most of the action takes place, there are cavernous rooms with dangling chains and dripping water. This industrial appearance is at odds with 2001, but it does reflect the movie’s idea that space travel could become mundane in the near-future.
2001: A Space Odyssey
‘s biggest influence on
Alien
relates to Scott’s exploration of artificial intelligence.
2001: A Space Odyssey‘s biggest influence on Alien relates to Scott’s exploration of artificial intelligence. Ash is revealed to be a humanoid android, who, like HAL, is willing to discard human life if it stands in the way of his mission. The Alien franchise has similar characters in other movies, and Ridley Scott returns to the idea of artificial life in his other sci-fi classic, Blade Runner.
2 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Steven Spielberg Has Professed His Love Of 2001: A Space Odyssey
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Close Encounters of The Third Kind Where to Watch
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Director Steven Spielberg Release Date November 18, 1977 Cast Richard Dreyfuss , Francois Truffaut , Teri Garr , Melinda Dillon , Bob Balaban , J. Patrick McNamara
Rather than following humanity’s exploration of space, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is about extraterrestrial life coming to Earth. As he does in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg presents a hopeful portrait of first contact. The director has spoken at length about his admiration for 2001: A Space Odyssey, and he has proven over the years that he is one of very few directors who can match Kubrick’s scale and spectacle.
The third act of
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
features a surreal show of colors and lights as the aliens try to communicate with humans
The third act of Close Encounters of the Third Kind features a surreal show of colors and lights as the aliens try to communicate with humans using the medium of song. This is more grounded than Dave’s journey through the vortex in 2001: A Space Odyssey, but both scenes use an overwhelming assault on the senses to symbolize humanity’s graduation to a higher plane of understanding.
1 Ad Astra (2019)
Ad Astra’s Journey Across The Solar System Mimics 2001
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Ad Astra Where to Watch
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Director James Gray Release Date September 17, 2019 Cast Anne McDaniels , Liv Tyler , Ruth Negga , John Ortiz , Loren Dean , Kimberly Elise , John Finn , Brad Pitt , Tommy Lee Jones , Jamie Kennedy , Donald Sutherland , Greg Bryk
2001: A Space Odyssey starts on Earth, before moving to the dark side of the moon and then Jupiter. Ad Astra follows a similar trajectory, but its final destination is near Neptune instead. This isn’t the only similarity between the plots of the two movies, since Ad Astra also features an astronaut making the last leg of his journey alone after his crew are killed before they reach their destination.
Ad Astra
is a mash-up of
Heart of Darkness
and
2001: A Space Odyssey.
Ad Astra is a sci-fi retelling of Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, but it would be more accurate to describe it as a mash-up of Heart of Darkness and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Visually, Ad Astra borrows heavily from Kubrick’s movie. Although Ad Astra has plenty of its own ideas to add to the sci-fi, especially in its wild action scenes, it’s the moments of quiet solitude that resemble 2001: A Space Odyssey.
2001: A Space Odyssey 
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2001: A Space Odyssey is one of Stanley Kubrick’s most well-known films. A science-fiction epic, the film tells the story of the journey of Discovery One, a spacecraft operated by a group of scientists, astronauts, and a sentient computer, on a mission to Jupiter to investigate a mysterious monolith. Considered one of the greatest films ever made, Kubrick combines sparse dialogue with the heavy use of scoring and ambiguous imagery to create something that eschews conventional filmmaking.
Director Stanley Kubrick Release Date April 3, 1968 Cast Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter , Leonard Rossiter , Margaret Tyzack Studio(s) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Writers Stanley Kubrick , Arthur C. Clarke Runtime 149 minutes Expand