Mankind encounters extraterrestrial intelligence.
Inspired by Arthur C. Clarke's short story The Sentinel , Kubrick and Clarke began writing their original scenario in the spring of 1964. Production began in England in December of 1965. By May of 1966 the live action scenes were finished and the crew spent the next year and a half filming the special effects. During editing major changes took place. A documentary prologue where scientists discussed the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence was eliminated and narration explaining the Dawn of Man sequence was also cut, making 2001 the first Kubrick film without any narration.