“2001: A Space Odyssey” (2001年宇宙の旅), Original Japanese First-Release “Style B” Cinerama Movie Poster (1968) Ultra Rare B2 (approx. 51.5 × 72.8 cm) — MGM / Cinerama / Super Panavision — Cinema-Used Q141

A rare original Japanese first-release Style B B2 poster for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey — one of the most important science-fiction films ever made and one of the defining cinematic achievements of the 1960s. This example features the celebrated Robert McCall space-station artwork, with the rotating orbital station, Earth, moon and Orion III spaceplane arranged in a vast, architectural vision of space-age futurism.

This is a cinema-used example, displayed at the time rather than preserved as unused stock. It presents excellently from the front, with strong artwork, clear typography and powerful display impact. The verso retains evidence of genuine exhibition use, including handwritten calculations and old display-related residue, adding a characterful period quality to a poster type that was normally discarded after theatrical use.

Date & Japanese Theatrical Release

2001: A Space Odyssey was released in 1968 as an MGM / Stanley Kubrick production, photographed for large-format presentation and promoted internationally through Cinerama, Super Panavision and Metrocolor branding.

This Japanese poster belongs to the original 1968 release campaign. The blue Japanese headline makes the dating especially clear:

この眼でみる33年後の現実！
— “The reality 33 years from now, seen with these eyes!”

The line counts forward from 1968 to the year 2001, making it one of the most evocative pieces of period campaign copy associated with the film.

The Film & Its Place in Cinema History

Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, developed with Arthur C. Clarke, transformed the language of science-fiction cinema. Its combination of philosophical scale, technical precision, visual abstraction and near-wordless spectacle set a new standard for screen futurism.

The film’s influence extends far beyond genre. It reshaped the expectations of what cinematic science fiction could look and sound like: not merely adventure, but architecture, ritual, technology, evolution and metaphysics rendered through image and sound. Original 1968 theatrical material for 2001 remains among the most desirable of all science-fiction poster collecting fields.

The Artwork

The upper half of the poster is dominated by Robert McCall’s iconic Space Station V composition. McCall, one of the great American space artists, was closely associated with NASA-era futurist imagery and was commissioned to help visualize the film’s scientifically credible, monumental vision of space travel.

The artwork captures the optimistic engineering imagination of the late 1960s space race: a vast orbital station turning above Earth, a white spaceplane gliding into docking approach, and distant celestial bodies suspended in the deep blue-black field of space. The small printed McCall signature is visible within the artwork at lower right of the image field.

The Japanese layout gives the illustration exceptional authority by keeping the entire upper image essentially free of promotional text. The result is one of the most elegant Japanese science-fiction poster designs of the period: image above, information below, with the grandeur of the station set against the stark white title panel.

Design Notes

Style B artwork: this is the sought-after Japanese release design centred on McCall’s orbital station and Orion III spaceplane imagery.

Cinerama roadshow identity: the central lower panel includes the boxed CINERAMA logo, together with Super Panavision and Metrocolor, tying the poster directly to the premium large-format theatrical presentation of the initial release.

Japanese title treatment: the main red title reads 2001年宇宙の旅, the established Japanese title for 2001: A Space Odyssey. Literally, it can be read as “2001: A Journey into Space.”

Period Kubrick transliteration: beneath the Japanese title, Kubrick’s name is written as スタンリー・カブリック. This early katakana rendering is a notable period detail and differs from the more familiar modern rendering often used for Kubrick’s name in later Japanese materials.

Blue future-tense headline: the upper Japanese campaign line — “Reality 33 years from now, seen with these eyes!” — is one of the poster’s strongest historical features, preserving the original 1968 sense of looking forward to the year 2001.

Why Collectors Prize This Example

• Original 1968 Japanese first-release poster: a genuine period B2 from the film’s initial Japanese theatrical campaign, not a later reissue or reproduction.

• Rare Style B design: featuring the legendary Robert McCall Space Station V artwork, one of the most important images in science-fiction film advertising.

• Cinerama release material: the boxed CINERAMA mark and Super Panavision / Metrocolor wording connect the poster to the film’s prestige large-format presentation.

• Exceptional Japanese typography: the blue future-tense headline and bold red Japanese title give the sheet a distinctive identity apart from U.S. and European campaign material.

• Cinema-used provenance: surviving signs of theatre use on the reverse make this a particularly evocative example of working 1960s Japanese film paper. Posters of this kind were intended for short-term display and then disposal, which is a major reason complete original examples are now so scarce.

Condition Report

Overall condition: Very Good vintage condition, unrestored, with excellent front presentation.

The poster presents very strongly from the front, with the McCall space-station artwork retaining excellent visual impact. The deep space field, pale Earth tones, white spaceplane, blue Japanese headline and red Japanese title remain highly attractive when displayed.

Condition details: the poster has original fold lines, including vertical and horizontal folds, with associated fold wear, creasing and surface handling. There is general age-related paper waviness, light surface scuffing, minor edge wear and small handling marks consistent with a cinema-used poster from 1968.

On the reverse, there are handwritten calculations in black ink in the upper-left area. These are not visible from the front, as this area corresponds to the dark printed space artwork. There is also a brown mark / stain on the reverse, located toward the lower portion; from the front it is only faintly visible and does not materially affect the poster’s display, appearing only subtly near the right side of the red Japanese title area. The bottom verso shows old display-related residue / toning, consistent with the poster having been mounted or stuck up during its original cinema use.

These verso features are important to note, but they also speak to the poster’s genuine exhibition history. This was a working theatrical display piece, not unused warehouse stock. No major paper loss or modern restoration.

Please review the provided photos, including the front, back and close-up images — they show the exact poster offered.

It is an original 1968 Japanese first-release B2 poster, not a reproduction or reprint.

It is over 58 years old!

Certificate of Authenticity Included.