Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt? Opens Today

The final installment of the Atlas Shrugged movie trilogy opens today at theaters across the country.

Go here for the official site and to find theaters near you.

Reason TV attended the Las Vegas premiere of Who is John Galt? last week. Click above to watch our report from the red carpet.

We interviewed the producer of the series, John Aglialoro, about finishing the project, Ayn Rand's continuing influence, and how to beat back crony capitalism. Take a look below:

We also interviewed Harmon Kaslow, the other leader producer on the project, about "Why the Internet Has Hollywood Very Scared." Watch here:

Reason's Brian Doherty reported from the set of "Who is John Galt?" back in March.

Read our Ayn Rand archive here.

Comments

[Idle Hands]

Why are we so pumped for this? The first two were such sweaty turds, I'm stilling pulling the toilet paper off my ass.

[The Last American Hero]

Read it and weep, Venezuela.

[Sudden]

/thread

[Fist of Etiquette]

Third time's a charm?

[Warty]

Dagny's actress is cute, at least.

[The Last American Hero]

I like old Dagny better.

[Warty]

Dagny is beloved by all.

[sarcasmic]

Dagny I, good enough to eat.

Dagny II, past the 'Best Used By' date.

Dagny III, good enough to eat.

[The Last American Hero]

I was referencing Dagny 1.0, of course.

[Pro Libertate]

On DVD, will they include the full speeches as extras?

[Johnny Bravo]

On DVD, will they include the full speeches as extras?

Do you think any actor could remember that much dialog at one time?

[Pro Libertate]

They could teleprompter it or do it in a number of cuts.

[Stormy Dragon]

So you film it in chunks and then edit it together using Speilberg shots of the other characters listening to cover up the cuts.

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, what am I thinking? CGI!

[Johnny Bravo]

So you film it in chunks

Probably the best way to watch it as well.

[gregoryboylenci]

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[The Other Kevin]

I still think the idea of Atlas Shrugged is great, but the book itself was written horribly. Why would they think a movie series faithful to the book would be good?

They should write a script based on the ideas of the book, maybe set in the present day, and long enough to be just one feature film. There are some writers who post in H&R, bet one of them could do a good job.

[Stormy Dragon]

They should write a script based on the ideas of the book, maybe set in the present day, and long enough to be just one feature film.

They did. It's called Iron Man 2.

[Pro Libertate]

I've heard that, but I'm not seeing it.

[Stormy Dragon]

Genius iventor discovers a revolutionary new power source, which he wants to keep to himself, but the government and a corrupt corporation conspire to steal it from him. He responds by abandoning his company and bums around until everything goes to hell. And then comes back to laught at the government and corrupt corporation for being pathetic.

[Pro Libertate]

Still not seeing it. I mean, sure, some similar plot elements, but not really thematically the same.

I keep saying this, but a science fiction story based on the general ideas and plot of Atlas Shrugged could be interesting.

[antisocial-ist]

There are some writers who post in H&R, bet one of them could do a good job.

I'm not watching any movie based off of a sugar free script. I'd rather watch the entire AS trilogy.

[Robert]

I think the vision & art of Atlas Shrugged would've been better served not by adapting it closely as a movie, but by a loose adapt'n (which wouldn't've even had to have Rand's name on it), like how the lady at the Promethean Theatre Co. (whose name I forgot?and it'd take me a while to dig out the program from 30 yrs. ago?who used to work with Dan Roentsch) did a stage swipe of it transposed to the garment industry, called The Best Within. Unfortunately her play was only so-so, but the basic idea is sound. The movie should've either been a period piece following the novel very strictly (rather than set in the present), or a very loose adaptation using the basic plot themes & nothing else.

In gen'l I prefer very loose adapt'ns, the sort of thing that makes you chuckle as you realize how the themes of the original have been reimagined in different settings with different characters & different twists & details. Especially if in add'n to recalling the themes of the original, new ideas (related or unrelated) have been added.

[creech]

just got back from seeing its first showing at local theater. 13 of us in audience. Clapping at end. Galt's speech is maybe 5 minutes interspersed with shots of people watching in store windows etc.
It is a not an effective movie as a stand-alone; you really need to have read the book or seen the first two movies. For the 1/4 million or so of us who see it, it is life-affirming and makes one wonder how A.R. saw so clearly 60 years into the future. Driving home, I heard Dick Morris on radio urging conservatives to see it (he said it was Ann Rynd's book)as it points out the America Obama is trying to create. And, say, was that SFL's Alexander McCobin in the audience
at 20th Century Motor at the beginning of the flick?

[Stormy Dragon]

Driving home, I heard Dick Morris on radio urging conservatives to see it (he said it was Ann Rynd's book)as it points out the America Obama is trying to create.

Part of the reason I have avoided this trilogy is that the producers have spent way too much time chumming it up with Republican pols that seem to be the antithesis of the ideas in the novel.

Anyone who thinks that a Sean Hannity cameo in Atlas Shrugged is a good idea clearly didn't get the novel; I have no interest in seeing their film interpretation of it.

[sasob]

For the 1/4 million or so of us who see it, it is life-affirming and makes one wonder how A.R. saw so clearly 60 years into the future.

Easy - she had already lived through it in her former country.

[T. Walls]

This film on on the list of forbidden pictures for Objectivists. It has not been vetted or approved by Leonard Peikoff, Pee-Ee-Eye-Kate-Oh-Double-Eff!

[sasob]

...the list of forbidden pictures for Objectivists.

Seems like a contradiction in terms to me.