2001: A Space Odyssey (film) company, and care was taken that the film would be sufficiently "British" to qualify for the Eady Levy, a UK tax on box-office receipts. The film received mixed reactions from critics and audiences upon its release, but garnered a cult following and became the highest-grossing North American film of 1968. It was nominated for four Academy Awards; Kubrick received one for his direction of visual effects. A sequel, "", directed by Peter Hyams, was released in 1984. "2001: A Space Odyssey" is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. In 1991, it was deemed
Monolith (Space Odyssey) Monolith (Space Odyssey) In Arthur C. Clarke's "Space Odyssey", Monoliths are machines built by an unseen extraterrestrial species. In the series of novels (and the films based on these), three Monoliths are discovered in the solar system by humans. The response of the characters to their discovery drives the plot of the series. It also influences the fictional history of the series, particularly by encouraging humankind to progress with technological development and space travel. The first Monolith appears at the beginning of the story, set in prehistoric times. It is discovered by a group of hominids and somehow triggers a