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"Atlas Shrugged" Movie

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Definitely. Honestly I'm not interested in seeing Atlas turned into a movie though. At least, not today with Hollywood being what it is now. It would have to take some phenomenal luck to have it turn out any good. Maybe some day the circumstances will actually be proper enough that the film actually gets made and is met with the cheers and support it deserves instead of the smears and confusion I'd expect to see today.

Not only the smears and confusion, but usually the movie can't at all compare with the book it's based upon. Especially a book like Atlas.

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Not only the smears and confusion, but usually the movie can't at all compare with the book it's based upon. Especially a book like Atlas.

This may be quite true. Visual material requires actions. Who would sit through Galt's speech? However, It might work as a 3-part mini-series. The "small" screen can handle it better or as an an audio drama. Still, imagine that test of the Rearden metal track in Dolby Surrond; what a ride. Just reading it was like being in a fast car.

Rand was trying to get AS produced as a movie.

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I realize that everyone who's read the book would want to see the movie script staying true to the book's progression. But that, IMO, would be a mistake.

A book isn't a screenplay and making it into one, page by page or even chapter by chapter would be like translating languages word by word. What's more important, that they stick to the word of the book or the story and meaning?

As to Galt's speech, one way of tackling it would be to bring it on slightly earlier in the movie and then show events happening while he speaks. They could even do half of it and move on and then bring back the rest of the half to close the movie (kind of like a narrative).

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Guest Erik Martinsen

I'd go over the speech and separate the parts that deal with general philosophy from the parts that address specific events in the book. The parts that address specific events should be compressed and delivered by Galt at the appropriate part of the storyline, while the parts dealing with general philosophy could be split up into separate segments to be played either during the opening or the ending sequence of each episode. The philosophic content of each segment should be of high relevance to the events taking place in the respective episode, and be delivered along with the credits and some silent scenes or images to illustrate the speech.

I believe the movie rights will return to the estate of Ayn Rand unless production of the movie starts within a year now, so there's pressure on finally getting it done. It would probably be best for ARI to regain control of it though -- I doubt they'd have much trouble getting investors in the project now. Yaron Brook commented that he'd prefer for it to be a series such as Band of Brothers, so ARI would probably be more likely to go in that direction.

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My two nominees for Dagny Taggart would have to be Jennifer Beals and Jessica Biel. Similar names, vastly different in appearance and acting ability. When I think of Dagny, I always find myself visualizing one of these two women. Jennifer Beals has a very appealing intensity, one that parallels the character in question. I haven't seen enough of Jessica Biel's dramatic work to make an assessment. Physically, she's spot-on.

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My two nominees for Dagny Taggart would have to be Jennifer Beals and Jessica Biel. Similar names, vastly different in appearance and acting ability. When I think of Dagny, I always find myself visualizing one of these two women. Jennifer Beals has a very appealing intensity, one that parallels the character in question. I haven't seen enough of Jessica Biel's dramatic work to make an assessment. Physically, she's spot-on.

I suggest Summer Glau for Cheryl Taggart. If anyone doesn't know who she is, she was River in the incredible show Serenity and now has a major role on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. For some bizarre reason I'd love to see Renee O' Connor as Lillian Rearden even though I know her as sweet, spunky Gabrielle - I have this feeling that ROC could pull off sinister and frivolous just perfectly.

How about Ioan Grufudd (or however you spell it) for Francisco? And because I'm such a Hugh Jackman fangirl I have to make a plug for him, perhaps as Cuffy Meigs, or perhaps Ellis Wyatt if we want to put him on the side of the angels.

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  • 3 weeks later...
This may be quite true. Visual material requires actions. Who would sit through Galt's speech?

Same way you do a documentary or a news story on TV. Show images that are relevant (either directly or in loose metaphorical ways) to what is being discussed at a given point. Someone on Youtube did this with Galt's speech over a series of 10(?) videos, and I sat through it.

Edited by ctrl y
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  • 1 month later...
Guest Erik Martinsen

Regarding the ideal actor to portray John Galt; the correct answer is, quite obviously, Paul Bettany. I think he and Charlize Theron, who is most likely to play the part of Dagny Taggart, would make a great couple as well.

paulbettany03.jpg

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I have always pictured a more obscure actress for Dagny rather than some big name. One actress in particular that in my opinion depicts Dagny almost perfectly is Eva Green. She was in Casino Royale and Kingdom of Heaven. See her below with Daniel Craig, who would also make a good Rearden!

post-6927-1249694815_thumb.jpg

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I had a question. What exactly do you think they are going to show at the beginning of the movie, before the plot starts and before the phrase "Who is John Galt?" is even uttered? You know, the opening credits?

I don't know what they are going to show. But I can imagine the movie opening with a metaphoric scene showing Atlas using all his energy to carry the burden of the earth. Then the opening credits with New York buildings, skyline etc. Then the story. Finally, during Galt's speech, when he talks about going on strike and Atlas shrugging, I'll return to the beginning scene and show Atlas calmly putting away the burden from his shoulders.

I am not an artist and am not sure if this would count as good art.

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I had a question. What exactly do you think they are going to show at the beginning of the movie, before the plot starts and before the phrase "Who is John Galt?" is even uttered? You know, the opening credits?

I'd think it would be scenes of the city sharing the quality of hopelessness that old movie reels from the depression exhibit. A shot of the calendar and then the opening line...

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I'd think it would be scenes of the city sharing the quality of hopelessness that old movie reels from the depression exhibit. A shot of the calendar and then the opening line...

I'm wondering if we're really thinking about what we'd like to see rather than what we will see.

Call me a pessimist.. but I cannot fathom Hollywood sticking to Atlas Shrugged's message without a lot of dilution.

The ship of fools that got ObaMao into office was aided largely by Hollywood.. sorry, I think the movie will end up with some tortured abortion of the true message.

I really hope to be proven wrong.

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  • 2 months later...

*** Mod's note: Merged with an earlier topic. - sN ***

Production is rumored to be started of an adaptation of Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" called "The Tourist."

Who would you want to see play the characters of Dagny Taggart, John Galt, Hank Rearden, and Francisco D'Anconia? Do you think that it should be big names, or should the roles go to people who are virtually "unknown" actors?

Just pondering the topic....

Edited by softwareNerd
Added 'merged' note
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I'm sorry, but this subject has been discussed at lenght. You can search for the other threads, if you like.

Thanks. Observe the "Novice" description under my name--- I am still learning how to navigate this site and all that it offers. Excuse me if I'm not up to paar. I will get there.

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Chalize Theron has dropped out of the Tourist have nothing to do with Atlas Shrugged Movie. The current trade talks is that it is being rewritten again as an epic mini-series for Liongate's new paid network Epix with Chalize driving development.

Edited by CmdrBretz
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  • 1 month later...

I always thought that an Atlas Shrugged movie would have to follow Eddie Willers around. My reasoning is that a movie can't possibly correctly represent the novel, so "Atlas Shrugged: The Movie" must be seen as distinct, unique, but nonetheless intimately related to the novel. In addition, the book is perfectly good standing on its own. The appeal, therefore, of making a movie would be to take something out of the book and make it available for public consumption. I think Eddie Willers is a much more appropriate focus for this kind of approach.

Interestingly, Eddie was perhaps the only character 'not-initiated' who intimately knew John Galt. Undoubtedly, Galt subtly revealed himself to Willers during their frequent conversations. These meetings were also the most tangible connection Galt had to Dagny for many years, and so the audience would benefit from viewing the love story more directly from that point of view. Eddie was a 'good man' who was lost in a world of forces much bigger than him. Galt, Dagny, Rearden, the economy, the looters, these were all forces to Eddie.

I couldn't think of a more perfect way to relate the practical aspects of Objectivist philosophy to those very much tossed to and fro by the philosophies of the world than through the eyes and ears of Eddie Willers.

I'm also not super enthusiastic about the future setting. I see too much room for unnecessary inventiveness. What if Atlas Shrugged turns into Bioshock the movie?

I also feel like the time setting of the novel was perfect. The technology of the time represented the completion of the first baby steps away from primitivism. The threshold was evident. Directly on one side you have people living off of the earth - animal powered carts, subsistence agriculture, hand-pumped wells - and juxtaposed against it you have freedom from the earth - combustion motors, transcontinental shipping, electric power. Take away a diesel engine, and you have conestoga wagons - not a big leap. But to see fusion-powered wifi laser guns juxtaposed against horse-drawn wagons - no, that's too much. Or even less dramatically - facebook reading smartphones downscaled to old rotary equipment. The effect is not as meaningful.

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