Claim: The American studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer financed and distributed 2001: A Space Odyssey.

2001 : A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science-fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick . The screenplay was written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke , partially inspired by Clarke 's short story `` The Sentinel '' . Clarke concurrently wrote the novel 2001 : A Space Odyssey , published soon after the film was released . The film follows a voyage to Jupiter with the sentient computer Hal after the discovery of a mysterious black monolith affecting human evolution . It deals with the themes of existentialism , human evolution , technology , artificial intelligence , and extraterrestrial life . It is noted for its scientifically accurate depiction of space flight , pioneering special effects , and ambiguous imagery . It uses sound and minimal dialogue in place of traditional narrative techniques ; the soundtrack consists of classical music such as Gayane Ballet Suite , The Blue Danube , Also sprach Zarathustra , and pieces from contemporary composer György Ligeti .   2001 : A Space Odyssey was financed and distributed by American studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , but it was filmed and edited almost entirely in England using the studio facilities of the MGM-British Studios and those of Shepperton Studios , mostly because of the availability of much larger sound stages than in the United States . Production was subcontracted to Kubrick 's production company , and care was taken that the film would be sufficiently British to qualify for subsidy from the Eady Levy . Kubrick had shot his previous two films in England and decided to settle there permanently during filming .   2001 : A Space Odyssey initially received mixed reactions from critics and audiences , but it garnered a cult following and slowly became the highest-grossing North American film of 1968 . It was nominated for four Academy Awards and received one for its visual effects . The sequel 2010 was released in 1984 , directed by Peter Hyams .   Today , 2001 : A Space Odyssey is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made . In 1991 , it was deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry . The critics ' polls in the 2002 and 2012 editions of Sight & Sound magazine ranked 2001 : A Space Odyssey sixth in the top ten films of all time ; it also tied for second place in the directors ' poll of the same magazine . In 2010 , it was named the greatest film of all time by The Moving Arts Film Journal .