Iconic '2001: A Space Odyssey' Suit to Hit Auction Block

2001 - A Space Odyssey (1968 Gary Lockwood)
2001 - A Space Odyssey (1968 Gary Lockwood)
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Iconic '2001: A Space Odyssey' Suit to Hit Auction Block

2001 - A Space Odyssey (1968 Gary Lockwood)
2001 - A Space Odyssey (1968 Gary Lockwood)

The elusive "2001: A Space Odyssey" spacesuit believed to have been worn by Dr. David Bowman when he "killed" HAL in the groundbreaking 1968 film goes on the auction block next month.

The highlight of a Hollywood and space exploration memorabilia show that's set for July 17-18 in Beverly Hills, the spacesuit is conservatively estimated to fetch between $200,000 and 300,000.

It's a rare artifact from the classic by filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, who is thought to have destroyed most of the props and wardrobe from "2001" -- widely regarded as one of most influential films of all time -- to prevent their use in other productions without his authorization.

According to Jason DeBord -- chief operating officer of Julien's Auctions, which is hosting the event -- the only other significant piece from the film to go up at auction was the Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle, which in the movie transported Dr. Heywood R. Floyd from the International Space Station to the moon.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- the organization behind the Oscars -- snagged that prop in 2015 for $344,000.

The spacesuit is especially sought after because it is believed to have been used in one of the film's most iconic scenes -- when Bowman destroys HAL 9000, a sentient computer that is killing the astronauts onboard to uphold its programmed mission.

Auctioneers believe this particular costume was used in that scene because its helmet has a base green layer of paint, the color of the helmet worn by Bowman, who was played by Keir Dullea.

The near complete spacesuit was likely worn by other actors as well, as the helmet also has layers of white and yellow paint.

Along with the helmet, the suit includes boots and an MGM shipping crate.

The piece was auctioned off in 1999 and has been in controlled storage for two decades.

"It just sort of fell off the face of the earth," DeBord told AFP. "It's kind of magical, because it's sort of a lasting artifact of the filmmaking process."

He said film buffs are hoping to track down a production plan of the Oscar-winning film to "align the different layers of paint with the shooting schedule, and possibly even get a little more specific about where it might have been used in the film."

"2001" received four Academy Award nominations and won for visual effects, an accolade for its pioneering techniques that included accurately portraying space flight.

In 1991, it was added to the National Film Registry, earmarked for preservation by the Library of Congress.

Among the more than 900 items going up for auction at the same event are the pilot control stick Neil Armstrong used on the Apollo 11 flight to the moon -- estimated to go for $100,000 to $200,000 -- and an Apollo-era spacesuit glove designed for Armstrong, estimated at $10,000 to $20,000.



Reel Tensions: Trump Film Trade War Looms over Cannes

President Donald Trump has added a trade war to the cinema industry's list of concerns. Jim WATSON / AFP
President Donald Trump has added a trade war to the cinema industry's list of concerns. Jim WATSON / AFP
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Reel Tensions: Trump Film Trade War Looms over Cannes

President Donald Trump has added a trade war to the cinema industry's list of concerns. Jim WATSON / AFP
President Donald Trump has added a trade war to the cinema industry's list of concerns. Jim WATSON / AFP

Donald Trump's threat of tariffs on foreign-made films risks stoking tensions between the European and American film industries and dominating conversations at the Cannes film festival this week.

The US president has added a trade war to the sector's list of concerns that already included competition from streaming platforms.

The already tricky commercial outlook for big-screen owners and film producers darkened considerably last Sunday when Trump said he wanted 100-percent tariffs on movies "produced in foreign lands", AFP said.

Even if most observers think the proposal is unworkable, it risks destabilizing an industry that is highly globalized and depends on open trade.

"It'll be one of the big issues in Cannes," said Eric Marti from US-based media measurement agency Comscore.

He said statements from another American leader -- the co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos -- had also focused minds.

Sarandos said recently that cinema-going was "an outmoded idea for most people", pointing to the fact that audience numbers worldwide have not rebounded since the Covid pandemic.

The festival in Cannes from Tuesday will see directors, actors and distributors try to make sense of Trump's intentions and those of his Hollywood advisors, actors Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone.

"We're a bit perplexed," Marti told AFP. "We don't know how it's going to work in practice."

- Extortion? -

Trump's tariff salvo is part of a picture of growing tension between Europe and the US over the film and TV industries since the former reality TV star returned to the White House in January.

As part of his ultra-nationalist "Make America Great Again" agenda, Trump's Republican administration also has EU regulations that protect and promote European cinema in its crosshairs.

The regulations take many forms but typically include measures such as taxing cinema tickets to fund independent filmmakers, quotas for European or non-English-language productions, or forcing major studios to fund domestic productions.

In France, American streaming platforms Netflix, Amazon and Disney have to invest in French-language films or series in order to operate in the country.

In a February 21 memo, Trump took aim at what he called "overseas extortion", with a particular mention of laws that "require American streaming services to fund local productions".

American film industry groups such as the Motion Picture Association and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) have also lobbied the Trump administration to protest against European regulations.

A group of leading French film figures, including "Emilia Perez" director and Cannes winner Jacques Audiard, fired back with an open letter to the DGA last month.

"At a time when the gap between the United States and the rest of the world is widening, we believe it is more important than ever for European and American filmmakers to remain united," they wrote.

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati vowed last week to defend French films "whatever the cost", noting that "on the other side of the Atlantic, powerful players in this industry are hostile to the French cultural exception".

Critics

Cannes has always championed independent arthouse films but it also reserves part of its program to Hollywood blockbusters made by major American studios to attract audiences.

This year will see Tom Cruise return for the world premiere of the latest and last instalment of his "Mission: Impossible" series, three years after he lit up the Riviera while promoting "Top Gun: Maverick".

While he can be expected to steer clear of politics and controversy, there will be plenty of Trump critics in attendance.

"Taxi Driver" star Robert De Niro, who is set to receive an honorary Palme d'Or, is one of the most outspoken, often struggling to find words harsh enough to condemn Trump.

Fellow New Yorker Spike Lee, who will present his film "Highest 2 Lowest" with Denzel Washington, raged against him in Cannes on 2018 after Trump refused to denounce violent far-right protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Trump's lawyers called the film "garbage" and "pure malicious defamation" when it came out on the eve of last November's presidential election.

Strong is set to return to Cannes this year as a jury member.