Franchising a Classic: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, MGM and the Exploitation of 2001: A Space Odyssey

The origins, production and legacy of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) have been extensively analysed. Yet its haphazard evolution into a prototype trans-medial franchise through books, comics, a proposed TV series and the 1984 movie 2010: The Year We Make Contact (the only sequel produced during the filmmaker's lifetime) has been relatively unexplored. By using newly available primary sources, the essay explores the exploitation of the Space Odyssey IP through the lens of the complicated relationship between its stakeholders: Kubrick, his co-author Arthur C. Clarke and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the studio that financed and co-owned the property. Assessing their responses to the challenges posed by a shifting industrial landscape, this research situates 2001 and its spin-offs in the context of the growing 'entertainment franchising' trend in 1970s Hollywood, revealing the complex interplay between artistic vision, commercial interests and the commodification of a cinematic landmark.