On May 31, 2026, The Rewatchables officially dropped its highly anticipated episode on Stanley Kubrick's 1968 sci-fi masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The choice of such an avant-garde, slow-burning film represents a major departure for a podcast that typically feasts on 90s action thrillers and blockbuster dramas. For a show built on dissecting rewatchable cable-TV staples, tackling a high-art cinematic monolith is a risky but fascinating pivot.
Behind the scenes, the preparation for these ambitious episodes is a constant grind. Host Bill Simmons gave listeners a brief glimpse into his hectic schedule, noting on The Bill Simmons Podcast that he spent his day "Preparing, I was preparing for rewatchables tomorrow-" to get ready for the recording. This peek behind the curtain highlights the intense prep work required to dissect a film that has puzzled and amazed audiences for over half a century.
While some listeners are skeptical about how the show's signature categories like "Apex Mountain" and "Who Won the Movie?" will apply to a film with almost no dialogue, the episode represents a bold expansion of what defines a rewatchable movie. The focus now shifts to whether The Rewatchables will continue to steer toward high-concept auteur cinema or quickly return to the comfortable territory of popcorn blockbusters.