Atlas Shrugged Filming Wraps Up


Ed Hudgins

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Atlas Shrugged Filming Wraps Up

By David Kelley

I spoke with Dagny Taggart the other night. "It's a huge honor to be part of this film," said Taylor Schilling, who plays the heroine in John Aglialoro's independent production of Atlas Shrugged. Tuesday evening, July 20, marked the completion of filming. We caught up with Aglialoro and his team in a weary but ebullient mood as shooting wrapped after an intense five-week schedule.

The movie covers Part I of Ayn Rand's novel, with two more films in the planning stage to tell the rest of the story. With six months of editing still to go on "Atlas Shrugged, Part I," Aglialoro expects it to be ready for release by next March—unless it is accepted for Cannes or other major festivals, which would probably mean a June release.

[For the rest of the story plus a video interview with Aglialoro, visit The Atlas Society website!]

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Great news! I was very happy to hear that David Kelley - someone with immense philosophical knowledge - has been an adviser on this project.

David said: "The power of an adaptation, and its ultimate success or failure, turn on how well it captures Rand’s narrative and its meaning. As an independent production, this adaptation has pursued that goal directly, without having to bargain with studios, stars, or screenwriters who don’t get it."

That's an excellent point.

Edited by Philip Coates
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Terrific news! It was always going to be hard to get a film made of a novel as complex as Atlas Shrugged. Hopefully this independent movie will pave the way for the second and third portions of the Atlas story to be told.

Jim

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Great news! I was very happy to hear that David Kelley - someone with immense philosophical knowledge - has been an adviser on this project.

David said: "The power of an adaptation, and its ultimate success or failure, turn on how well it captures Rand’s narrative and its meaning. As an independent production, this adaptation has pursued that goal directly, without having to bargain with studios, stars, or screenwriters who don’t get it."

That's an excellent point.

The lack of Hollywood red tape...ahhhhh. I look forward to seeing it!

~ Shane

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This is great news. AT first I had my doubts about this films ability to convey Objectivist philosophy via Atlas Shrugged due to interviews I listened to from the director and producers.-I was a bit skeptical at first, but knowing that David Kelley has been involved in the project as the Objectivist advisor to the film has dispelled some of my concerns. It may be a good flick after all. Hopefully this film will open the doors to a massive influx of individuals to rational thinking in general and Objectivist philosophy in particular. *cross fingers*

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A look at the full cast list at IMDB is interesting

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480239/fullcredits#cast

It implies that they are going to be quite faithful to the story, and haven't cut many characters.

Ivy Starnes is listed.

Wesley Mouch is the most recognizable of the faces.

Che Guevara will be giving the money speech!

Does anyone know who Brenden Brady is?

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A look at the full cast list at IMDB is interesting

http://www.imdb.com/...ullcredits#cast

It implies that they are going to be quite faithful to the story, and haven't cut many characters.

Ivy Starnes is listed.

Wesley Mouch is the most recognizable of the faces.

Che Guevara will be giving the money speech!

Does anyone know who Brenden Brady is?

Eddie Willers is black?

JR

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A look at the full cast list at IMDB is interesting

http://www.imdb.com/...ullcredits#cast

It implies that they are going to be quite faithful to the story, and haven't cut many characters.

Ivy Starnes is listed.

Wesley Mouch is the most recognizable of the faces.

Che Guevara will be giving the money speech!

Does anyone know who Brenden Brady is?

Eddie Willers is black?

JR

Yes, you always cast a black guy for the part of the red shirt.

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I hope Francisco's "money speech" is included in the film.

The money speech starts on page 382 (of 1,074), part one wraps up on page 313. Cheryl Taggart is introduced near the end of part one, the wedding (where the speech happens) is early on in part two. So maybe they’ll move it back, I’m inclined to think the world needs to hear that speech sooner, but, we’ll just have to wait and see. If I were a gambler I’d bet on it getting saved until part two.

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Yes, you always cast a black guy for the part of the red shirt.

Redshirt is a slang term for a minor stock character of an adventure drama who dies violently soon after being introduced in order to dramatize the dangerous situation experienced by the main characters. Wikipedia

Ahem, Eddie Willers makes it to the end, doesn’t die violently, and maybe doesn’t die at all. Tut Tut Ted.

<embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:southparkstudios.com:154133" width="480" height="400" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="window" flashVars="autoPlay=false&dist=www.southparkstudios.com&orig=" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" allownetworking="all" bgcolor="#000000"></embed><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:southparkstudios.com:154867" width="480" height="400" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="window" flashVars="autoPlay=false&dist=www.southparkstudios.com&orig=" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" allownetworking="all" bgcolor="#000000"></embed>

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Yes, you always cast a black guy for the part of the red shirt.

Redshirt is a slang term for a minor stock character of an adventure drama who dies violently soon after being introduced in order to dramatize the dangerous situation experienced by the main characters. Wikipedia

Ahem, Eddie Willers makes it to the end, doesn’t die violently, and maybe doesn’t die at all. Tut Tut Ted.

Eddie Willers was also not a "minor stock character". He was a very significant character in the novel.

I've looked over photos of the different cast members. Some of them definitely don't seem to me to have the right appearance for their characters. But casting a black actor as Eddie Willers is really going against his physical description in the novel. Eddie was described as having blonde hair and blue eyes. I also think that this is a bad idea because it seems to feed into a racial stereotype. Eddie is described as being Dagny's assistant, just as his father and grandfather worked for Dagny's father and grandfather. So this almost seems to fit the racial stereotype of black underlings working for their white superiors over several generations. I would not have made this choice. Then again, I'm not the director.

Martin

Edited by Martin Radwin
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Eddie willers is not sacrificed to the plot until the end, but sacrificed he is.

Adam Reed has argued that Hank Rearden was actually black, and I agree. That would have been a much bolder and a welcome casting move. You can be sure that this movie is going to be blasted as racist.

Were I the screenwriter, I would have Willers rescue himself in the end.

There is no chance in hell that they will leave the money speech out of this episode.

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So this almost seems to fit the racial stereotype of black underlings working for their white superiors over several generations. I would not have made this choice.

If you grant the PC premise that there needs to be at least one black in the cast, what would you have him be, a producer, a looter, or a striker? Eddie Willers is the natural choice. Look how they changed Ford Prefect in the H2G2 movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUQGYMvI5sk&feature=related

It worked fine. Too bad the movie bombed, I liked it and wish they'd made sequels.

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So this almost seems to fit the racial stereotype of black underlings working for their white superiors over several generations. I would not have made this choice.

If you grant the PC premise that there needs to be at least one black in the cast, what would you have him be, a producer, a looter, or a striker? Eddie Willers is the natural choice. Look how they changed Ford Prefect in the H2G2 movie:

I guess I don't really grant the premise. To me, the casting should be faithful to the descriptions given in the novel, at least to a reasonable extent. But if I did grant the premise, I would try to cast one or more black actors as characters whose physical descriptions were not as well defined as Eddie and therefore at least physically reasonable. Eddie's physical appearance is described in a fair amount of detail, including his blonde hair and blue eyes. Perhaps one could cast a black actor as Dick McNamara or Owen Kellogg. I don't recall that their physical descriptions were sufficiently detailed that they would preclude either of them being black.

Another thing I noticed from looking at the casting list was the names of a couple of characters that I don't recognize as being in the novel. Specifically, "Brendan Brady", "Jay Knight", and "Joy". I'm pretty familiar with Atlas Shrugged, and I'm quite certain that no such character names existed in the novel. I wonder if these characters, which I'm quite sure did not exist in Atlas, were created specifically for the movie screenplay.

Lastly, I noticed that two different actors are listed in the role of Dick McNamara -- Nick Cassavetes and Jack Milo. I assume that this is an error in the casting list.

Martin

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There is no chance in hell that they will leave the money speech out of this episode.

If you’re so sure it will be in, will you put your money where your mouth is, and give odds? Ten to one and I’m in. We’ll still have to define what qualifies as “the money speech”, but that shouldn’t be too hard.

<object width="400" height="265"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13589866&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13589866&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="265"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/13589866">Atlas Shrugged teaser</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4337002">The Atlas Society</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

It’s clear that they end with Wyatt’s Torch, Aglialoro talks about the highlights and doesn’t mention the money speech.

I guess I don't really grant the premise. To me, the casting should be faithful to the descriptions given in the novel, at least to a reasonable extent.

Yeah, well, it’s not Gone with the Wind. Imagine Will Smith as Rhett Butler, now that would be ridiculous. Quentin Daniels could be a good choice, his name sounds African American to me. Eddie Willers sounds passably so as well. As opposed to Ragnar, I mean forget it.

Edited by Ninth Doctor
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Yeah, well, it’s not Gone with the Wind. Imagine Will Smith as Rhett Butler, now that would be ridiculous. Quentin Daniels could be a good choice, his name sounds African American to me. Eddie Willers sounds passably so as well. As opposed to Ragnar, I mean forget it.

Wait a minute! If Bernie Schwartz (Tony Curtis) and Isador Danielevitch Demsky (Kirk Dougolas) can play Vikings why can't an Afro be Ragnar? He be the Dred Pirate Ragnar!

Ba'al Chatzaf

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If you're so sure it will be in, will you put your money where your mouth is, and give odds? Ten to one and I'm in. We'll still have to define what qualifies as "the money speech", but that shouldn't be too hard.

<object width="400" height="265"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13589866&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13589866&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="265"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/13589866">Atlas Shrugged teaser</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4337002">The Atlas Society</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

That Rearden Steel sign in the clip doesn't inspire confidence in the art direction. Had they gone with a retro-fifties style they could still have set the movie in the current day, or better yet, in some timeless era. Look at Mad Men and Gattaca. They obviously didn't read Rand's Art of Fiction. She was very much against using contemporary touches like an MSNBC debate that can make the piece seem dated in a few years. Are we actually going to see Galt's face when he gives his speech? God, I hope not.

Edited by Ted Keer
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It appears filming began on or about June 14 and wrapped on July 20--about five weeks. Given the material they were dealing with, the film crew must have followed a very aggressive shooting schedule. According to one source, “independent films take typically 3 to 12 weeks [for principal photography] while most studio films take between 3 and 5 months — all of which, of course, can vary widely based on budget, location, weather, and specific requirements…”

If the minimum for a typical independent production is three weeks, I would think that the absolute minimum for one third of a massive novel like Atlas Shrugged would be about five weeks. It is certainly possible that the final product will be decent. I will remain cautiously optimistic.

For a less favorable prediction, see this article from Daily Finance. The link was provided by filmmaker Duncan Scott in an LA Objectivists (LAON) group message.

Putting Together a Quickie

Agliolaro's rights to the book were set to expire if principal photography didn't begin by June 12, 2010. Up until the last minute, relatively unknown actor/director/scriptwriter/producer Stephen Polk was set to direct the film, but he and Agliolaro clashed over cast and budget. Long story short, Polk wanted to mount a real production, while Agliolaro was more interested in putting together a quickie version. Two weeks before principal filming was scheduled to begin, Johansson was given the director's chair.

To understand why Agliolaro has been trying to put together a cheap version of Atlas, one need look no further than Fantastic Four. Big budget cinematic versions of the famous comic book were released in 2005 and 2007, but the first film adaptation came out in 1994. An embarrassingly bad quickie produced by shlockmeister Roger Corman, the movie was never intended for release; its purpose was to enable producer Berndt Eisinger to hold onto his film rights to the work. Oddly enough, it allegedly turned a profit when Marvel Comics paid to have it permanently shelved. This quickie version of Atlas Shrugged will likely do the same thing, either extending Agliolaro's control over the property or at least getting him a quick payoff from the estate of Ayn Rand.

Duncan Scott felt that Daily Finance's take was "sobering" and "reality-based." He might be half-right. If Agliolaro is expecting a big payoff from Leonard Peikoff and the AR Estate, he desperately needs a cold shower. In view of the hastiness of all the last minute decision-making, however, the other hypothesis--extending his control over the property--may well turn out to be valid. Given the high expectations that any Objectivist is going to have about this project, some realism may be called for.

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She was very much against using contemporary touches like an MSNBC debate that can make the piece seem dated in a few years.

I'm not sure a TV debate is such a "contemporary touch". This one from 40 years ago sounds close enough to the Chris Matthews/Megyn Kelly style of cacophony we still get today.

For a less favorable prediction, see this article from Daily Finance.

Could just be sour grapes from someone who’s talking about suing. Hope so.

Here’s a link to the Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlas-Shrugged-The-Movie/144777702200729

Edited by Ninth Doctor
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That Rearden Steel sign in the clip doesn't inspire confidence in the art direction.

Where are you seeing a Rearden Steel sign? I must have missed it.

You'll have to scroll through.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=452739&id=144777702200729#!/photo.php?pid=452739&id=144777702200729&fbid=144792715532561

Looks ok to me.

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That Rearden Steel sign in the clip doesn't inspire confidence in the art direction.

Where are you seeing a Rearden Steel sign? I must have missed it.

You'll have to scroll through.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=452739&id=144777702200729#!/photo.php?pid=452739&id=144777702200729&fbid=144792715532561

Ah, I see. Thanks. The logo wasn't in the clip, as Ted had claimed, but in a photo at a different link.

Looks ok to me.

It looks okay to me, too. It looks like a logo that a modern manufacting company would have. The kerning on the word "STEEL" (in order to make it as wide as "REARDEN") looks a little amateurish, but overall, the logo is much better than the Taggart Transcontinental logo. That's the one that Ted should be complaining about. It looks like it was designed by a committee of non-designers which tried to please each of its members by including all of their clashing ideas. Where the Rearden logo is just kind of okay, I think the TT is probably among the top ten worst logos I've ever seen.

J

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