2001: a space odyssey had its world premiere at the Uptown Theatre in Washington, DC on 2 April 1968.
Stanley Kubrick attended the screening, and then re-edited the film, cutting 19 minutes from the 161-minute print, before its general release on 10 April.
Arthur C. Clarke wrote the screenplay with Kubrick, and wrote the novel of the same name during filming and post-production. The novel more closely adheres to early drafts of the story. It was published after the film’s release in June 1968.
While the film received mixed reviews on its release, and drew small audiences at first, it ended up being the highest-grossing film in North America for 1968.
2001 was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction (Ernie Archer, Harry Lange, Anthony Masters) - it lost the Best Art Direction award to Oliver! - and received an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.