This edited volume seeks to bring to light the impact of the ‘new’ Kubrick studies upon the ‘old’ Kubrick studies and collate together original insights, and textual and interpretative analyses of 2001: A Space Odyssey. By revising the formalist approaches in Kubrick Studies and conflating it with new empirical approaches, we can arrive at a broader understanding of the means and ways in which Kubrick’s methods as a director were developed to create a unique aesthetic creation and a film that changed cinematic language radically. Approaching the 50th anniversary of its release, 2001’s reputation is cemented as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, regularly appearing in polls of the most important movies. And the film is still years ahead in its design, vision and philosophical structure. Contributions come largely from emerging scholarly voices within Film Studies, bringing new and innovative approaches to a film they share a common passion for.