John Putch to direct Atlas Shrugged Part 2, according to IMDB

Posted on February 15, 2012 2:15 pm UTC by Joshua Zader
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According to the IMDB page for Atlas Shrugged Part 2, actor-turned-director John Putch has been recruited to direct the movie.

An Oct 2010 interview for the Valley Film Festival introduces Putch as follows:

After beginning as an actor, John Putch now works as a director in television and independent film. His TV work includes Cougar Town, My Name is Earl, Outsourced, and Ugly Betty. Three of his films have won Best Feature at The Valley Film Festival, including Bachelorman (2003), Mojave Phone Booth (2006) and Route 30 (2008); John is currently set to begin filming the sequel to the latter film in December.

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Atlas Shrugged-themed summer seminar in Washington, D.C.

Posted on February 9, 2012 5:05 am UTC by Joshua Zader
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From an article by Karl Dickey, writing for the West Palm Beach Libertarian Examiner:

As part of The Atlas Society’s promotion efforts, its June 29-July 1 Summer Seminar theme will be “Either-Or: Atlas Shrugged and the Future of Individualism.” The event, held in Washington, D.C., will focus on the philosophy and insights of the novel.

This year producers Aglialoro and Kaslow will offer a special update on Part 2. “We are eager to provide Seminar participants a battlefield report on the film,” says Aglialoro, a trustee of the Society.

According to Will Thomas, The Atlas Society’s Director of Programs, “The Summer Seminar brings together the community of scholars, students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and artists who have made open Objectivism a central part of their life and thought. Together, we explore the vision of a society committed to reason, independence, and productive achievement. We surveyed our membership and are offering a 2012 Seminar that fits what the majority of our respondents asked for. It will have a classy setting and a tight, three day program full of heavy-hitting speakers.”

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Producer Duncan Scott to serve as writer, creative advisor on Atlas Shrugged Part II

Posted on February 3, 2012 7:42 am UTC by Joshua Zader
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Yesterday we learned that multiple Emmy-winning producer Duncan Scott will be joining the production team for the Atlas Shrugged Part II movie. For more information about Scott, see his interview with the Atlasphere, where he discusses his experiences producing and re-releasing, with Ayn Rand’s blessing, the Italian screen adaptation of We The Living.

Today, in this update to Facebook, we learn more about his specific role with the next installment of the Atlas Shrugged movie:

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: I have been in discussions with the “Atlas Shrugged, Part 2” filmmakers for several months now and I have officially joined the production team. My job will be working to help ensure that Rand’s ideas are presented in a dramatic, cinematic and compelling manner. The producers commissioned me to draft a screenplay that brings out the crucial themes of Ayn Rand’s novel. I have been working on that draft for several weeks and I’m happy to report that it will be completed soon. In addition, during the course of production and editing of the film, I will continue in an on-going role that might best be described as creative advisor, although details are still being worked out.

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Hollywood Reporter: Atlas Shrugged Part II fully funded, to hit theaters just before presidential election

Posted on February 2, 2012 2:32 pm UTC by Joshua Zader
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A new article in today’s Hollywood Reporter begins:

Despite a lackluster performance for the first installment, a politically charged sequel will hit theaters just before the presidential election.

The producers behind Atlas Shrugged Part 1 have made their intention to make a sequel official, albeit with a new cast and crew, with principal photography set to begin in April. The team is also planning an October release, hoping that the politically charged film will strike a chord with moviegoers a few weeks before they head to voting booths to choose a U.S. president.

See the full article for much more, including this:

Aglialoro and Kaslow are set to announce casting and other details as early as today.

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Atlas Shrugged Part II starts filming in April, “We the Living” producer Duncan Scott joins production team

Posted on February 2, 2012 12:29 pm UTC by Joshua Zader
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From a press release on the official movie website:

(Santa Monica, CA) – February 2nd, 2012 – Atlas Productions, LLC announced today that “Atlas Shrugged Part 2”, the second installment of the Atlas Shrugged movie trilogy, has been officially greenlit with principal photography to begin this coming April in Los Angeles, Colorado, and New York.

Based on Ayn Rand’s (Feb. 2 1905 – Mar. 6 1982) 1957 novel, ATLAS SHRUGGED is set in the near future when a dystopian United States finds its leading innovators, from industrialists to artists, mysteriously disappearing at an alarming rate resulting in the “stopping the motor of the world.”

Joining the production is Duncan Scott, an 8 time Emmy Award winner, who worked extensively with Rand in her editing of “We the Living.”

“Rand has long been the focus of Duncan’s work. He brings invaluable experience to the table as well as an incredible depth of knowledge regarding Atlas. We’re thrilled to have him on the team.” stated Producer John Aglialoro.

See the full announcement for much more.

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Teaser trailer for Atlas Shrugged Part II

Posted on February 2, 2012 12:11 pm UTC by Joshua Zader
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This teaser trailer for Atlas Shrugged Part II has just been released!

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Diana Hsieh on the Atlas Shrugged movie: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Posted on January 20, 2012 10:59 am UTC by Joshua Zader
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For some reason I missed this when it was first posted, but Objectivist philosopher, podcaster, and blogger Diana Hsieh shares many intelligent criticisms of the movie in her video review below.

As Diana notes at the end of her review, an important metric of the movie’s success is how much it affects book sales and, by that particular metric, the movie was definitely a success. Hopefully some of the key problems with Part 1 — the script and director in particular — will be much improved in Part 2.

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Scott Holleran: New “Ayn Rand & the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged” documentary is lacking

Posted on January 19, 2012 6:03 am UTC by Joshua Zader
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Objectivist intellectual Scott Holleran has reviewed the new documentary Ayn Rand & the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged, which he found lacking in some areas.

His review begins:

Surprisingly, there’s a lot I don’t like about the new Ayn Rand documentary, which I watched with a sold-out audience, including friends who worked on the 84-minute film, at a special screening at the ArcLight Hollywood last night. Because I know many of those who appear in or worked on it, I wanted to like every second of Ayn Rand & the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged and there is much to like in this movie, which I enjoyed as an experience of seeing Ayn Rand on the big screen again. By the time we see what relevance Rand’s epic novel has to today’s dark times, there are many good points, read directly from her 1957 Random House bestseller and contrasted with well-chosen works of art depicting opposing ideas. But the good points get bogged down in an overbearing movie.

See his full review for more.

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Get FREE tickets to the new “Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged” documentary

Posted on January 12, 2012 5:40 pm UTC by Joshua Zader
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Interested in seeing the new Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged movie during its nationwide screening on Tuesday, January 17th?

The movie’s publicists are offering free tickets (login required) to Atlasphere members. The offer extends to both free members and paid subscribers.

Below is the trailer and we have an earlier post with more information about the movie itself.

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Smart Girl Politics: “Wow, does it ever get you thinking!”

Posted on December 24, 2011 8:05 am UTC by Joshua Zader
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Ever wonder how people who haven’t read the novel are reacting to the new Atlas Shrugged – Part 1 movie? K Stadler at Smart Girl Politics had this to say:

I just finished watching the movie Atlas Shrugged Part One, and wow, does it ever get you thinking! There is a battle between two sides, much like the battle that is becoming ever more present in our country today.

Side A: Wants to keep things “fair,” no one side should have more of an advantage than another. Everything should be micro-managed by the government, because much like a parent to a child, only they know what is best for you.

Side B: Believes in innovation and reaping the rewards of your hard work.

The film concludes by asking the audience what happens when all the freedoms are gone. The innovators will leave to seek the freedom to express their talents and creativity. How will that society survive without the people who take charge, who invent, who dare to challenge, and who keep working for things they believe in?

Nice to see the movie this way, through the eyes of a newcomer.

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