'2001' Re-Release Trailer Celebrates The 50th Anniversary Of Kubrick's 'Space Odyssey'

The 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is upon us. To celebrate the film's half-a-century birthday, 2001 will have a 70mm re-release, enabling audiences to experience Kubrick's mind-trip sci-fi film on the (very) big screen. A new 2001 re-release trailer awaits you below.

Fifty years ago, Stanley Kubrick made audiences mutter, "What the hell did I just watch?" when he unleashed the sci-fi masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. Adapted from an Arthur C. Clarke story, Kubrick's film is a trippy, epic examination of alien contact, and so much more. No matter what type of screen you watch it on (okay, maybe not on your phone), the film is a wonder to behold. But I'd imagine it's even more amazing on the big screen. I may soon be able to put this theory to the test, because Kubrick's film is getting a big screen re-release for its 50th anniversary, and here's the trailer to prove it.

Holy hell is that an effective trailer. I know there's a lot of hype built up around 2001, but that hype is 100% justified. Kubrick's film really did change cinema, and while I understand that the film isn't for everyone, I remain in awe of it. If I can catch this in 70mm on the big screen at some point, I absolutely will.

2001 is headed to the Cannes Film Festival this year, where Christopher Nolan will present a 70mm print of the film. Here's Nolan's statement:

"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 that audiences experienced fifty years ago."

Unlike a standard film gauge, 70mm offers a much higher resolution. When 2001 screened in 70mm at the Egyptian Theater in 2016, the theater offered this description of the experience:

Shot in Super Panavision 70, the film's larger frame size – nearly double that of standard 35mm film – offers remarkable resolution. Figures in windows of spaceships, patterns in the star gate sequence and numerous other details are more plainly visible than ever before. And this is a film built on visuals; Kubrick's affinity for geometrical shot composition finds a perfect thematic match in this tale about the possibilities and perils of technology.

The 70mm 2001 re-release screenings will begin on May 18, 2018.