The Atlas Shrugged Movie, Now More Than Ever?

Damon W. Root | April 1, 2009

As Katherine Mangu-Ward has noted, copies of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged have recently been flying off the shelves. Now The Hollywood Reporter wonders if the long-awaited Atlas movie will be taking off as well:

After decades in development hell, Ayn Rand's capitalism-minded "Atlas Shrugged" is taking new steps toward the big screen—with one of the film world's most prominent money men potentially at its center.

Ryan Kavanaugh's Relativity Media is circling the Baldwin Entertainment project and could come aboard to finance with Lionsgate, which got involved several years ago....

Although it was written a half-century ago, producers say that the book's themes of individualism resonate in the era of Obama, government bailouts and stimulus packages—making this the perfect moment to bring the 1,100-page novel to the big screen.

"This couldn't be more timely," said Karen Baldwin, who along with husband Howard is producing, with film industry consultant John Logigian advising on the project. "It's uncanny what Rand was able to predict—about the only things she didn't anticipate are cell phones and the Internet." Baldwin may be on to something—love it or hate it, "Shrugged" is seeing a resurgence, with book sales spiking as debates rage in Washington and around the country about the government's role in a faltering free-market economy.

Read the rest here.

[Via Roderick Long]

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|4.1.09 @ 3:20PM|#

This couldn't be more timely

Now that Rand-style economic brutishness has gone completely out of style for most of the country?

NolongerTofuSushi|4.1.09 @ 3:21PM|#

So, this is NOT going to be one of those crazy Hollywood productions that completly mangles the premise of the book?

Someone please tell me this is so?

First!!!

NolongerTofuSushi|4.1.09 @ 3:23PM|#

Odd how they flipped like that.

|4.1.09 @ 3:23PM|#

I've been thinking. Perhaps Atlas Shrugged is surging in popularity because people want to learn how to be like the bad guys in the novel.

robc|4.1.09 @ 3:25PM|#

Pro Lib,

Instruction manual for getting a job in the Obama administration? Could be.

Colin|4.1.09 @ 3:26PM|#

I read a few years ago in Variety that Angelina Jolie was going to star in it with Brad Pitt. It stated that she was a big fan of the book.

I think also read that they planned to split it up into multiple films.

NolongerTofuSushi|4.1.09 @ 3:28PM|#

I think also read that they planned to split it up into multiple films.

How many of the films will be the John Galt speech?

MNG|4.1.09 @ 3:32PM|#

That cover is hilarious.

"Thanks for the ravishing, can't you stay?"

|4.1.09 @ 3:32PM|#

It's uncanny what Rand was able to predict-about the only things she didn't anticipate are cell phones and the Internet.

Don't get me wrong. Ayn was my first individualist hero. And while I'm far more critical of her these days (then when I was a teenager) I still hold her in high regard. But what the hell is Karen talking about? What did Ayn "get right"? I don't remember reading about Environmentalists Gone Wild, or Food Nazis and such. And where's that Rearden Steel? And that engine that pulls electricity out of the air, where's that huh? Cause I'm sure Obama motors would like to get that right on the market.

NolongerTofuSushi|4.1.09 @ 3:34PM|#

MNG is back with all of his leftoitosity! WB MNG!

MNG|4.1.09 @ 3:39PM|#

What can you say, noone I know/Tofu guy likes me, he really likes me!

But then again, I am quite the handsome and articulate devil,* so who can blame him?

* According to a panel consisting of my wife.

Citizen Nothing|4.1.09 @ 3:40PM|#

You picked a good day to retire (if not to give up sniffing glue).

The return of MNG kind of subverts the whole TofuSushi raison d'etre, no?

Elemenope|4.1.09 @ 3:42PM|#

"Thanks for the ravishing, can't you stay?"

"No man may take away the cigarette break that is mine!"

--|4.1.09 @ 3:43PM|#

Please say it's going to be a musical.

MNG|4.1.09 @ 3:44PM|#

LMOP,
Well done.

NolongerTofuSushi|4.1.09 @ 3:44PM|#

The return of MNG kind of subverts the whole TofuSushi raison d'etre, no?

Click through my handle.

MNG|4.1.09 @ 3:45PM|#

"Please say it's going to be a musical."

What a horrible thing to wish on the guitarist for the John Galt speech songs...The poor fingers...

MNG|4.1.09 @ 3:46PM|#

"Click through my handle."

My goodness that sounds quite dirty. We always supsected noone I know, but really, you barely know Citizen Nothing (though rest assured the name is descriptive as well as amusing)

Kolohe|4.1.09 @ 3:46PM|#

It is far more likely for the results of this project to be horrid than splendid.

The only thing in the producers' favor is that one dimensional caricatures are actually easier the translate to celluoid than more nuanced literary depictions.

Citizen Nothing|4.1.09 @ 3:49PM|#

I've clicked through better handles than TofuSushi's.

MNG|4.1.09 @ 3:50PM|#

Kolohe
I'm not sure. I think Schumacher's Batman debacle and the resulting backlash have made it so that those doing translations of cult fav books into film will try very hard to please fandom.

MNG|4.1.09 @ 3:51PM|#

"I've clicked through better handles than TofuSushi's."

Hey, hey, this is a FAMILY site.

Of course that confirms what many casual observers conclude, that many posters are the result of inbreeding, but it is what it is...

Citizen Nothing|4.1.09 @ 3:54PM|#

Oh my god! TofuSushi is my mother? I swear I didn't know!

Officer Barbrady|4.1.09 @ 3:58PM|#

"Yes, at first I was happy to be learning how to read. It seemed exciting and magical, but then I read this: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I read every last word, and because of this shit, I am never reading again."

..|4.1.09 @ 4:04PM|#

Most of you appear to be retards. Or narcissistic trolls.
Same thing, right?

JB|4.1.09 @ 4:04PM|#

Now that Rand-style economic brutishness has gone completely out of style for most of the country?

You know, Tony, there are actually some people in this country who don't want all-government all-the-time in every orifice.

|4.1.09 @ 4:05PM|#

Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy by Matt Ruff

Sewer, Gas & Electric is the exuberant follow-up to Matt Ruff's cult classic and critically acclaimed debut Fool on the Hill. High above Manhattan android and human steelworkers are constructing a new Tower of Babel for billionaire Harry Gant, as a monument to humanity's power to dream. In the festering sewers below a darker game is afoot: a Wall Street takeover artist has been murdered, and Gant's crusading ex-wife, Joan Fine, has been hired to find out why. The year is 2023, and Ayn Rand has been resurrected and bottled in a hurricane lamp to serve as Joan's assistant; an eco-terrorist named Philo Dufrense travels in a pink-and-green submarine designed by Howard Hughes; a Volkswagen Beetle is possessed by the spirit of Abbie Hoffman; Meisterbrau, a mutant great white shark, is running loose in the sewers beneath Times Square; and a one-armed 181-year-old Civil War veteran joins Joan and Ayn in their quest for the truth. All of whom, and many more besides, are caught up in a vast conspiracy involving Walt Disney, J. Edgar Hoover, and a mob of homicidal robots.

It's Tom Robbins on crack. And would make a much better movie.

ed|4.1.09 @ 4:05PM|#

What did Ayn "get right"?

The ideas.

Mad Max|4.1.09 @ 4:11PM|#

'So, this is NOT going to be one of those crazy Hollywood productions that completly mangles the premise of the book?'

No, no, they're going to be very faithful to the book. The only changes will be a few minor tweaks which are absolutely necessary given the new format.

For example, John Galt and the other good guys will work out their differences with the government. They will transcend their ideological differences and decide to work together for the common good. The reason they have to work together is that Klingons are trying to conquer the Earth, so of course humanity has to unite.

The sex scenes in the novel are good, but there have to be more of them. Maybe can borrow the quote seduction scene unquote from Fountainhead.

The the sake of space, most of the political/philosophical stuff will be edited out. The slogan for Galt's Gulch will become "We swear by our lives and our love for them that we will be excellent to each other and party on, dudes!"

|4.1.09 @ 4:11PM|#

You know, Tony, there are actually some people in this country who don't want all-government all-the-time in every orifice.

Well when you put it that way I don't want it either!

"I've been thinking. Perhaps Atlas Shrugged is surging in popularity because people want to learn how to be like the bad guys in the novel."

They voted for Cuffy Meigs, so they might as well read the book and find out who he is.

max hats|4.1.09 @ 4:12PM|#

rape rape rape rape capitalism rape monologues rape rape rape monologues capitalism rape rape rape rape

It changed my life!

|4.1.09 @ 4:14PM|#

More insightful than most of the amazon.com reviews.

max hats|4.1.09 @ 4:15PM|#

You know, Tony, there are actually some people in this country who don't want all-government all-the-time in every orifice.

I have trouble believing Rand fans are too particular about what goes in what orifice.

ed|4.1.09 @ 4:16PM|#

As Katherine Mangu-Ward has noted...

Reason enough not to read any further.

Joel|4.1.09 @ 4:20PM|#

Also that Galt's Gulch golden dollar sign has somehow become the Lion's Gate logo in this draft...

And Dagny Taggart throws James out of her office window for smoking...

Oh, yeah. John Galt is a lesbian social worker.

But no major changes. The Speech is really, really long.

phalkor|4.1.09 @ 4:23PM|#

interesting conequence of an Atlas Shrugged movie, even more people will have pretended to read it.

Wally Cleaver|4.1.09 @ 4:36PM|#

"interesting conequence of an Atlas Shrugged movie, even more people will have pretended to read it."

I'm reminded of the thime where the Beaver and his school mate Whitey (can you belive there was a time in this country when you could name a TV character Whitey and no one would complain?) decide to watch the movie "The Three Muskateers" instead of reading the book for a school book report.

The film version had fights with chickens, feathers flying, pies in the face and whatnot, all which were reflected in their book report.

Needless to say, Ms. Landers was dissapointed in the boys.

|4.1.09 @ 4:40PM|#

The loony Glenn Beck conservative set has taken up this cause not knowing that Ayn Rand was an atheist who hated everything about them and the whole conservative movement.

But when did a fact ever slow down a conservative?

This would be awesome - if Galt's Gultch wasn't in foreclosure.

|4.1.09 @ 4:42PM|#

I think it would make a good movie, I enjoyed it, but it was tedious at times. I mean, like, yeah, I get it, on with the story.

PT Anderson could pull it off. Im a PT nuthugger though....

?|4.1.09 @ 4:44PM|#

"The loony Glenn Beck"

The man learned his trade watching Jimmy Swaggart's show. In fact, they might even be the same person.

Kolohe|4.1.09 @ 4:47PM|#

I think Schumacher's Batman debacle and the resulting backlash have made it so that those doing translations of cult fav books into film will try very hard to please fandom.

First of all, as a rule, fans are idiots.

Second, Shumacher's Batman films were sub-par even by Shumacher standards (compared to say Falling Down). But I mostly blame bad writing for that - it's the most important thing with an established 'franchise' and mainstream actors. (The upcoming star trek movie will live or die solely on the writing)

Third, the first rule of hollywood is to make money. While it is true you can make a little coin making a fanboy wankfest, you can make more money not making one but rather appealing to a broad audience. To state the obvious more simply, just make a good product. For instance, I would argue that the most recent batman movies are not by and large fan service (otherwise Maggie Gyllenhal, who I like, would not have been cast). Also, as a counterexample, the most critical voices to the watchman movie were the most ardent fans of the book.

If an atlas shrugged movie winds up to be a small movie without much mainstream studio support, it will indeed likely to have large dollops of fan appeal - and will suck. There is also the likely possibility that with broad studio appeal, it will have the starship troopers treatment - and also suck.

There is a narrow window of possibility that they can make a movie that retains most of the broad themes - but inserts, and deliberately contra Rand, some doubt and moral vagueness. This movie would not suck. But it's also not very likely to be made.

|4.1.09 @ 5:03PM|#

PT Anderson isn't afraid of a lengthy film, either. Actually, he would be superb.

'Magnolia' is an American epic.

max hats|4.1.09 @ 5:04PM|#

There is also the likely possibility that with broad studio appeal, it will have the starship troopers treatment - and also suck.

Starship troopers was a work of genius. Probably intentionally, almost none of the actors cast where smart enough to realize it. It's a deconstruction of sci-fi conventions, and an indictment of both America's fascist tenancies and the entertainment industries' role in selling imperialism - sold ironically as a piece of schlock entertainment. Basically a super-subtle Robocop.

max hats|4.1.09 @ 5:06PM|#

Were smart enough. Were. There's an irony in there somewhere, but I'm not smart enough to grasp it.

|4.1.09 @ 5:07PM|#

aix42 = you have nailed it!

D.D. Lewis as Galt?

'There Will Be Blood' on juice?

Fucking A!

|4.1.09 @ 5:08PM|#

max hats,

Meh. I actually agree that the film was taking some of the shots you're attributing to it, but I didn't think it worked very well. Part of the problem was that the director wanted the story to say pretty much the reverse of what the author had wanted it to say.

It did introduce the world to the pre-crazy Denise Richards, which I guess is one plus.

|4.1.09 @ 5:12PM|#

I guess Ayn's writing is no more stilted than most of what comes out of Hollywood already. It's a match made in heaven.

|4.1.09 @ 5:33PM|#

just make a good product

Exactly! Why can't they figure this out? Moviegoers aren't necessarily the least sophisticated people in the world, what makes them think they can trick us into delivering blockbusters just by adding in explosions and boobies?

I agree on Star Trek. It's all about the writing, and acting to a slightly lesser degree. There seems to be ample evidence that GOOD movies tend to do better than bad ones all else being equal.

<i>The Ron Paul Survival Repor|4.1.09 @ 5:37PM|#

When is the movie adaptation of The Turner Diaries coming out?

threeofclubs|4.1.09 @ 5:44PM|#

It can't be worse than the book.

Elemenope|4.1.09 @ 5:53PM|#

There is also the likely possibility that with broad studio appeal, it will have the starship troopers treatment - and also suck.

If they gave Atlas Shrugged to Verehoeven, it would be guaranteed to contain tits and irony. I like tits, and I like irony. These are the circumstances under which I'd pay to see it.

Starship troopers was a work of genius.

I agree. It's a rare case of the book and the movie both being brilliant. It's a rarer case of the book and the movie having nearly the opposite point and still being good. If Heinlein saw it, he might have spit blood. Or he might have laughed.

Angelina Jolie|4.1.09 @ 5:55PM|#

And I have ironic tits!

Kolohe|4.1.09 @ 6:06PM|#

I saw the movie starship troopers prior to reading the book (or even being aware of it). At first watching I thought it had a interesting premise that just was handled in a silly way.

And upon finally reading the book, I was also annoyed that the movie was the complete opposite

But upon a later re-viewing of the movie, my opinion of both works has come to match largely what LMNOP & max hats said. I totally did not get the irony of it the first time. (similarly I missed the irony of Robocop the first time, but I was around 14 when it came out). Watching both at the start of the fourth decade of life made me reasess my opinion of each.

Kolohe|4.1.09 @ 6:23PM|#

So when I say that an Atlas Shrugged movie with starship troopers treatment will suck, it's not that starship troopers necessarily sucked.

It's that with A-S, they need to go in the opposite direction toward nuance and subtlety and away from bombast and didacticism.

If they just make a movie with the same tendencious tone as the book, but reverse the political polarity, it will blow donkey balls.

|4.1.09 @ 6:27PM|#

If I were the director, I'd recast the story with Fred Sanford in the place of Hank Rearden.

jkp|4.1.09 @ 7:07PM|#

We have a "free-market economy"? Really?

..|4.1.09 @ 7:11PM|#

Has Reason merged with AOL?
I ask only because the quality of the commentary seems...well...AOLish.

robc|4.1.09 @ 7:37PM|#

Starship Troopers is somewhat amusing in the way some have said but it has two problems:

1. Lack of rewatchability
2. No powered suits

I think #2 is a result of the Voerhoeven (not even trying to spell it right) treatment. But. damn, that would be sweet.

I generally oppose remakes, but ST needs to be remade by someone who promises (once again) two things:

1. To follow Heinlein's story
2. Include the powered suits

JB|4.1.09 @ 7:49PM|#

robc,

I wouldn't mind seeing a remake, but I quite enjoyed Starship Troopers. Somehow it took the material seriously while making fun of it at the same time.

There is a point to realizing that there are things worth fighting, killing, and dying for while at the same time recognizing that you have to be careful of taking yourself too seriously even when doing those things.

Elemenope|4.1.09 @ 7:56PM|#

But. damn, that would be sweet.

Atlas Shrugged with powered suits? Yes, that would be ironic. And if Angelina Jolie is naked in one of the powered suits, that would be the tits.

Genius!

|4.1.09 @ 8:31PM|#

They should have some shots of trains going through tunnels during the Dagny sex scenes, I think.

|4.1.09 @ 8:39PM|#

The really intelligent posters have withdrawn from a world that not only can't appreciate them, but steals the product of their genius. They post here, but a technology renders their postings invisible to the non-Select.

They are both paid to write the postings, and paid again to read them.

Paid in gold.

|4.1.09 @ 9:42PM|#

# They are both paid to write the postings, and
# paid again to read them.

# Paid in gold.

Man, how do I get in on THAT action?

anon|4.2.09 @ 7:53AM|#

Man, how do I get in on THAT action?
igolder.com

Another Phil|4.2.09 @ 3:43PM|#

rape rape rape rape capitalism rape monologues rape rape rape monologues capitalism rape rape rape rape

It changed my life!

More insightful than most of the amazon.com reviews.

Actually, the rape was a single scene in The Fountainhead. Other than that....

|4.3.09 @ 6:02AM|#

I like the suggestion that the movie version of Atlas Shrugged should include powered fighting suits.

They would be made of Rearden Metal, of course.

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