Casting Couch
May 13th, 2003 - 4:06 pm
It looks like the long-promised and much-delayed Atlas Shrugged movie might just be for real this time.
Arthur Silber wants your dream-cast ideas. I have mine, but I’m saving them for later on Arthur’s site.
Well, Megan as Jane Galt, obviously. Who wouldn’t want to watch an inordinately tall woman who looks like an overgrown elf?
Dream cast? Eeeew [shudders].
This reminds me of the night I ran into a guy in a bar who told me he was working on a musical version of Plato’s Republic.
And, he was serious.
What a world, what a world!!
Chk out a movie called “Free Enterprise”. The last segment features Shatner doing the Bard’s Ceasar in a Hip-Hop Format.
to echo, what a world…
Not that I like any of these folks, mind you, and irrespective of their politics, but I’ve always thought Jodi Foster would make a great Dagny Taggart, Antonio Banderas for Francisco, Ned Beatty (is he alive still?) for Jim Taggart, David Hyde Pierce for Hank Reardon, and Wilem DaFoe as John Galt.
Or maybe that’s just a line-up that I dreamt about after making a certain someone’s incredibly spicy ahi recipe one night….
I didn’t enjoy the book, how could I possibly enjoy a movie of the book?
Obviously: Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandan.
My question is one really long movie or two or three shorter ones, Lord of the Rings style?
Mr. Green,
I had visited your site before, but this is the first day that I’ve commented here. Was there a re-design recently? I seem to remember it different before, but that could be another blog; there are so many. Anyway, I will resume posting shortly, btw; finals are over now. Your site is very good; keep up the good work!
P.S. – By the way, I am a ‘kegger’…
Two comments:
1. “Atlas Shrugged” is unfilmable.
2. Even if it were filmable, Hollywood would screw it up. Don’t believe me? I got two words for you–”Starship Troopers.”
They should keep John Galt secret, to play on the whole, “Who is John Galt?” theme. I think Gillian Anderson as Dagney, and Larry David as Jim would be great.
Not only is Atlas Shrugged unfilmable, it’s unreadable.
Ayn Rand? Isn’t she that bitch who thinks (or thought) too highly of herself?
They should do a movie version of Elvis Shrugged
Odd. Obviously I’ve been in violation of the laws of readability several times now. Strange that I was unaware of it every time.
As for casting, odd how all the men I can come up for John Galt, Hank Rearden, etc are fairly small guys. Willem Dafoe and James Woods have the right burning intensity but they’re just not quite right physically.
Thanks for the update on this film. I hadn’t heard anything about it for years. And I appreciate being asked to comment on the potential cast even though I don’t have any good ideas on that right now.
The problem with filming Atlas Shrugged is that in order to be a halfway decent movie it needs major reorganization and deep cuts…including some of the philosophical dialogue. Yet, if the ARI crowd has their way they won’t allow the slightest deviation…which will utterly doom the endeavor
Test:
Is Mr. Green missing, presumed broiled?
RoboDruid, given that he’s working on that cookbook it is more likely Missing, Presumed Fed.
Not much to post about, what with the war over and all.
Anyone know who that babe in the pic below is? Sweet Jesus on a moped she’s hot!!!
she’s cordelia (actress charisma carpenter)… she didn’t getlisted as part of next year’s cast of angel… she’s been with the series since inception, and was on buffy before that..
sucks.. she’s really hot.. but married, with kids
OK Bro….Time for the Friday recipe
Atlas Shrugged unreadable? By what standard?
Outside of the John Galt lecture, the book is good film material from a fantastical perspective. I can see it as an alternate universe, art deco/40′s sets & dress, mag-lev railway and computers.
But Will is right, Hollywood as is would screw it royally because they would never get behind the material just as Starship Troopers was turned into a fascistic cartoon at total odds with Heinlein’s book.
That LOTR was made as is, with homage to duty honor and war against evil is pretty remarkable.
A director on calibre with the late John Ford could pull it off. Or Samuel Fuller.
Cast suggestions:
Galt: Ralph Fiennes
Dagney: Julianne Moore
Francisco: Banderas
Reardon: Viggo Mortensen
Jim Taggart: Stanley Tucci
Hugh A: Sean Connery
Dr. Stradler: Anthony Hopkins
Cheryl Taggart: Reese Witherspoon
Wet Nurse: Keanue Reeves
Lillian Reardon: Nicole Kidman
Where’s homeboy? It’s been two frickin weeks. Is it that newlywed thang?
Time to put VP into the “Under the Table” heading on the old blogroll…
Hope you’re doing well on the book and enjoying married life!
I recently read Starship Troopers and thought the movie was much not as bad as the book. The book is a tract for Heinlen’s really whacked, platonic political philosophy with bits of story thrown in as footnotes. Heinlen puts his mobile infantry through a basic training course that kills several of them for no good reason and then it’s downhill from there. The recurring theme is that suffering is sublime and noble.
Payback with Mel Gibson was a good movie and the book it’s based on was not nearly as good.
But, in spite of my greater confidence in Hollywood, I’m also pessimistic about the likelihood that Atlas Shrugged will actually get made. I’ve seen 2 other announcements like this since I’ve been paying attention, the past 7 years, and I’m told that there’s been 8 such announcements since the 60s.
I must take issue with Cedar Bristol.
Starship Troopers is a fantastic, if facile, novel. The movie was hilariously bad. But hilarious, mostly.
Payback was far better done the first time, when Lee Marvin starred in it and it was called Point Blank. But the Donal Westlake novel is a classic.