April 15, 2011 target release date confirmed

I think this might be a mistake. I appreciate the poetic quality of an April 15th release date, but it screams “propaganda film” rather than simply “film.” Why alienate those – including reviewers – who might appreciate the film ~as a film~ by putting it in such a political frame?

I say, let the film itself be the artwork. Let the release date be a business decision.

That’s an interesting perspective, and I can appreciate the purism of it. I wonder whether this view got much discussion among those who made the decision. It sounds like Aglialoro was inclined to pick a symbolic date one way or another (e.g., Rand’s birthday, or January 16th, etc.).

At the same time, I think you may be imagining an alternate universe, when it comes to reviewers. Do you think they would be that much more inclined to give it a fair review as art, if it were released on a different day? That they would somehow set aside intellectual and political differences if it weren’t released on tax day?

I can’t really see it. It’s in for a nasty reception either way, among the intelligentsia.

You’re right that the symbolism of the release date will become one of the factors that gets discussed and factored into people’s perceptions of the film. And there could be some negative value, there, with associating the film with tax day.

On the other hand, the symbolism of tax day and of Atlas Shrugged are highly compatible, and the tax day release could add further urgency for those who are sympathetic to the movie but might otherwise wait to see the movie. Packing theaters on the release date could send a powerful message to theaters (deciding whether to carry the movie) and studios (deciding whether to get involved in a sequels).

So I’m optimistic about the value of any artistic trade-off, here.

One idea I’ve seen coming up often lately is the notion that Atlas should be made into many movies, by many directors, with various artistic sensibilities and styles. It’s the kind of movie which is so intellectually and thematically rich, that it deserves to receive many treatments.

In some ways, it’s been a mistake to put “all our eggs in one basket” the way we’ve done the past 20 years. Atlas isn’t really a one-basket kind of book; by the time your budget gets big enough, there’s too much political pressure to compromise or soften the message.

In any case, if the multiple-versions approach ever comes to be — and I really hope it does — I’d enjoy seeing the version which reflects the sort of purity to which you adhere.

[...] group. As a compromise, you might want to watch the film instead. It'll probably come out this April. Reply With Quote   + Reply to [...]

For Andrew, this book is a political statement, everything about it is political. Ms. Rand didnot want just a film. She wanted it to mean something, that’s why it wasn’t completed until now.

3 cheers for this movie. Have read this book many times. Just waiting for the movie to be released.
Woooo. We need one John Galt now.

That sleeve should have the Quebec Fleur de Lys all over…that is how we feel.

I would not worry about film critics tearing this project apart. This movie, if made correctly, will offend 90% of Hollywood and their followers (critics included). It will certainly be slammed by those in the far left of the media and government as well.