Gawker
Vice chairman of Lionsgate Michael Burns' mission to grab the screen rights of me-first philosopher Ayn Rand's libertarian soap opera of a novel Atlas Shrugged ended at a strange place: his Catholic Church. As Burns tells it in an interview this week, he was leaving mass one Sunday when he ran into Ray producers Howard and Karen Baldwin, telling them, "I heard you have the rights to Atlas Shrugged and I'd like to talk to you about that because that is truly one of my favorite books." As all good Rand acolytes know, the stern founder of the philosophy of Objectivism wasn't a huge fan of God or the Catholic Church, once informing the late devout editor of National Review William F. Buckley, "But you are too smart to believe in God!" Burns, who says he attended Rand's funeral in 1982, is all too aware of his heresy, adding, "Ayn Rand's probably rolling over in her grave to think that happened in a Catholic church." Forget about rolling over, Michael. She might be assembling an army of the undead to take care of yo' ass.
House of Sand and Fog director Vadim Perelman will helm the project, and Wanted star Angelina Jolie is still confirmed as unassailable railroad magnate Dagny Taggart. Burns claims that four studios have already contacted him about international distribution rights, and suggests that if he acquires the rights to Rand's other smash The Fountainhead (they're currently held by Paramount), Jolie's life partner Brad Pitt would be interested in playing architectural gunslinger Howard Roark. [Box Office Mojo]
Comments
Proves my point, Catholics control the media.
Alan Greenspan just spluged in his pants
Angelina Jolie is staring at a plastic bag caught in a tree in that photo.
For a good dose of Randian dystopia done a la video game, I highly recommend all you monkeys play a game called BIOSHOCK.
What the world needs is a remake of the Passion of Ayn Rand. 2 hours of a dowdy old bat talking about the logic of her extramarital affair. I coulnd't get enough.
I find myself feeling a bit Rand-y.
They made this already -- it's called "Mad Men," and it's fantastic.
Ayn Rand, a credit to her philosphy of absolute selfishness, never shook her Russian accent even after decades in America. Buckley, the lifelong Catholic, always described her infamous line as sounding like "But you ahr too smart to believe in Gott!" It was, you can imagine, a dealbreaker moment between the two right-of-centrists.
I'd like to get excited about this, but I believe it's essential to sublimate one's emotions and listen only to cold, dispassionate reason.
@moff: Whatever, hothead.
Finally something to cheer up the execs in our struggling financial sector.
Gary Cooper + Patricia Neal > Any two yahoos to play them in the awful remake.
@moff: I'd love to say that was both clever and funny, but I'm doing the same thing as you.
Howard Roark procreated.
@GraniteInMyVeins: indeed!
+ Watch video
@Sarcastro: Apologies for that outburst.
@VirusWithShoes: Then we are of one mind: This movie will only be good if everyone involved commits themselves to creating a product of the highest possible quality, and anyone who interferes with that most laudable end is reprehensible, and probably a giant loser-pussy, too.
@moff: You forgot "and a Democrat".
@VirusWithShoes: I hope that tendency toward redundance isn't typical of your work, sir!
@moff:
You're finally coming around!
Also, I'd pay to see the 12-hour epic cinema version of The Fountainhead. I loves it so. I'm not a total believer in Randian ethics, but I believe she wrote some powerful work that resonated with me.
Go ahead. Hate me.
If he were a real Randian, he'd follow the example set by John Galt and stage a walk out of all the top executives in Hollywood and crash the system. Imagien a world without Hollywood films! That'd sure show us.
@La Cieca: Wait - no riding crop acrooss Coop's glorious face? That's my favorite part!
@NinaHagen: across - you got too excited...
With Rob Schneider in the lead, I don't see how it can miss.
If they do "The Fountainhead," they MUST! MUST! MUST! cast Robert Downey Jr. as Gail Wynand. I was kind of picturing him the entire time I read the book. He'd be absolutely perfect.
It's kind of funny, I was just thinking about this yesterday, and I considered Brad Pitt as Roarke, but he just doesn't seem "different" enough. If you've read the book, you know what I mean. I was thinking Matt Damon, actually... but I'd much, much rather they went with an unknown for that part.
Oh, and Kevin Spacey as Toohey. P. E. R. F. E. C. T.
And when I say "I was thinking Matt Damon," I meant as a Hollywood producer's choice, not necessarily MY choice.
Roberty Downey Jr. and Kevin Spacey are my choices, though. They would rock.
Those pictures clearly show that Angelina Jolie is actually the granddaughter of Ayn Rand. You can tell by the lips. The question is whether or not Alan Greenspan figures in the family tree.
@ADismalScience: Heh. Nice.
@ADismalScience: Dude, she resonates -- I mean, anyone who can turn a book about a new kind of metal into a serious page-turner is a talented writer -- and her ideals aren't nearly as appalling as they're often made out to be, but her seeming beliefs about how to realize them are just as unlikely as those of any rainbow-loving San Francisco pothead who wants to teach the world to sing.
Still, I bet the sex was really dirty with her.
Wow, this will surely be as successful as previous crazy-cult fare such as Battlefield Earth!
@moff: I know this to be true. I was truly obsessed with her throughout high school and rode the Objectivist wave. Then I gave up the quest of being my own hero and became a hempmilk-loving Brooklyn pothead instead.
The best cult novels should never be made into movies, but then I can't think of too many films where the bad guy is based on Harry S. Truman
@Baronzemo: I nominate Wilford Brimley to play Harry S. Truman.
@Baronzemo: Shit - that's a thesis!
@moff: I'd much rather see a biopic about Rand than any of her books. What do you say to Isabella Rosselini?
@Oldboy: I say, "I want full stake in the Arby's franchise we bought outside of Telluride."
@moff: Huh?
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