Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey to be shown in 8K for the first time

Film negatives were rescanned and scratches repaired for the new version

Christopher Hooton
Sunday 02 December 2018 10:29 GMT
Comments
(MGM)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Warner Bros has scanned the original 70mm film negatives of 2001: A Space Odyssey in 8K in order to produce the most “vivid” version of Stanley Kubrick’s epic yet.

The move came at the request of Japanese broadcaster NHK, which will show the new edition as the launch film for its new 8K television channel, which arrives on Saturday.

The 8K format has 16 times the resolution of HD TV, the picture having a width of 8000 pixels.

“The many famous scenes become even more vivid, with the attention to detail of director Stanley Kubrick expressed in the exquisite images, creating the feeling of really being on a trip in space, allowing the film to be enjoyed for the first time at home,” NHK said in a statement.

NHK will show Audrey Hepburn’s My Fair Lady in 8K next year, and has plans to do the same with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The format is still something only the rich can enjoy, however. Samsung and LG both make 8K-capable TVs, but they cost in excess of £10,000.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in