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I believe the first time I ever mentioned a filmed adaptation of Ayn Rand's controversial 1957 novel "Atlas Shrugged" was October 18, 2006 when Randall Wallace (Braveheart, Pearl Harbor) was assigned the task of scripting the film with Angelina Jolie attached to star as Dagny Taggart, in a story that follows Taggart's struggles to manage a transcontinental railroad amid the pressures and restrictions of massive bureaucracy. Her antagonistic reaction to a libertarian group seeking an end to government regulation is later echoed and modified in her encounter with a utopian community, Galt's Gulch, whose members regard self-determination rather than collective responsibility as the highest ideal.

11 months later "Atlas Shrugged" was back in the news when Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog) was attached to direct as it was said Wallace had finally boiled Rand's 1,100-plus page book down to a 127-page script. At the time Jolie was still attached to star...

"Atlas Shrugged" has been previewed in a trailer. It follows Dagny Taggart who runs Taggart Transcontinental, the largest remaining railroad company in America, with intelligence, courage and integrity, despite the systematic disappearance of her best and most competent workers.

She is drawn to industrialist Henry Rearden, one of the few men whose genius and commitment to his own ideas match her own. Rearden's super-strength metal alloy, Rearden Metal, holds the promise that innovation can overcome the slide into anarchy.

Using the untested Rearden Metal, they rebuild the critical Taggart rail line in Colorado and pave the way for oil titan Ellis Wyatt to feed the flame of a new American Renaissance. Hope rises again, when Dagny and Rearden discover the design of a revolutionary motor based on static electricity - in an abandoned engine factory.

Based on Ayn Rand novel of the same title, "Atlas Shrugged" was once aimed to be Angelina Jolie-starring vehicle.

The story behind the adaptation of Ayn Rand's classic novel Atlas Shrugged into a feature film is a very interesting one, and I honestly didn't think it would end up being a good film. But today the first trailer for the film has been released for part one of the saga, and it looks like they aren't going to pull off an epic adaptation that this story deserves, bt there's a lot of effort behind it.

The film was originally supposed to be directed by Stephen Polk, son of former MGM chairman Louis Polk, but Paul Johansson, creator and director of the TV show One Tree Hill, was eventually brought in to direct and star in the film adaptation. The film was rushed into production at the last minute to keep the producer John Aglialoro from losing the film rights to the novel, so he jumped into production at...

Think back to the biggest development disasters of 2010. High on the list without a doubt, and perhaps topping the list, was Atlas Shrugged. In development for years, by 2009 the Ayn Rand novel was riding a newfound wave of popularity thanks to the economic collapse of late 2008, and also to a sense of post-Obama malaise within the conservative right. There was a point where it seemed like the book might spawn a mini-series [1], perhaps even with Charlize Theron playing central character Dagny Taggart. That didn't happen. By late spring of last year, producer John Aglialoro, who bought the rights in 1992, had to make the film or lose the option. By May, he planned to shoot in June, even though at that point there was no cast in place. Stephen Polk was hired to direct [2] a four-film series based on the book. Two weeks before shooting, he was sacked and replaced [3] with Paul Johansson,...

Back for its third year (see the 2010 edition) and bigger than ever, today kicks off the first in a fifteen-part look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2011. Each 'part' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of varying length covering twenty films. Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first major releases in mid-January.

Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).

I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...

Back for its third year (see the 2010 edition) and bigger than ever, today kicks off the first in a fifteen-part look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2011. Each 'part' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of varying length covering twenty films. Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first major releases in mid-January.

Like all cinematic lists set within a timeframe, there's some overlap. Some films here have already opened worldwide but have yet to hit the U.S., some upcoming films you'd expect to be here aren't because they're either still in development or have already announced 2012 release dates, some were on last year's list but got delayed so have been included again (but with all new analysis).

I confined my list to films that have either set 2011 release dates or had begun/completed production, and only films that have...

Just last month we brought you a report about the big screen adaptation of Ayn Rand‘s Atlas Shrugged and even though it didn’t have a full cast attached, it was to start filming this month. Director Stephen Polk said at the time that they weren’t intimidated to film a storied book even if big stars didn’t join the cast.

Now, Deadline reports that filming is underway but, without Stephen Polk. Polk was replaced just two weeks before production started and told the site,

“I had some real names seriously interested, but it had to be a real feature film, and I feel like I had the rug pulled out from under me. When we talked about cast, even B-list cast, they were like, ‘we don’t need names.’ It was great material, people were interested, but there were red flags. It’s devastating to me. They...

That Atlas Shrugged adaptation keeps getting stranger; its story is nearly as epic now as the one the movie will try to tell. So, Ok, some rich CEO bought the rights to the book 15, 20 years ago. The option was going to expire and rather than lose the million bucks he paid for the chance to make the film, Mr. CEO rushed a movie into production, thereby committing more of his funds to the project, almost all of which he's certain to lose.

The new movie costs about $5 million but it's not the whole story in one film. The plan is for a series of movies to wade through Ayn Rand's book. The shooting schedule for the first flick is five weeks and the guy directing it, Paul Johansson, does have some TV experience in that regard, but is better known as an actor on One Tree Hill. Maybe he's the next big thing,...

When word came last month that the film production of "Atlas Shrugged" was being rushed forward into shooting quickly and on the cheap, Stephen Polk was attached to direct and seemed excited by the opportunity.

A month later and filming on the Ayn Rand adaptation got underway...without Polk. Paul Johansson, who stars in the male lead role, turns out to also be directing this $5 million first film in a planned quadrilogy based on the property.

Polk is naturally unhappy he got replaced just two weeks before production started, so much so he's hired an attorney and predicts litigation in the near future reports Deadline.

Polk tells the site: “I had some real names seriously interested, but it had to be a real feature film, and I feel like I had the rug pulled out from under me. When we talked about cast, even B-list cast, they were like, 'we don’t need names.

We recently reported that a feature film based on Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" novel has finally began filming. But instead of having Stephen Polk direct it, as previously intended, the decision was made to replace him with "One Tree Hill" star Paul Johansson. Polk contacted Deadline is express his disappointment and reveal that he has hired an attorney to fight this. He said he could tell things were going awry when the budget began climbing as he tried to do justice to the book and attach such names as Angelina Jolie and Charlize Therone to play Dagny Taggart. The actresses were replaced by Taylor Schilling ("Mercy"). "I had some real names seriously interested, but it had to be a real feature film, and I feel like I had the rug pulled out from under me," said Polk. "When we talked about cast, even B-list cast, they were like, 'we don't need names.

There's another odd wrinkle to the story about producer John Aglialoro hastily getting an Atlas Shrugged film into production in order to retain rights to the novel. When we reported on the film a few weeks back, Stephen Polk was set to direct. But yesterday, when we got info about the film actually going into production over the weekend, there was a new director: actor Paul Johansson, who is also starring. So what happened to Polk? No surprise that he was sacked, and you should be even less surprised to read that he's rather pissed. Deadline's Mike Fleming says that Polk tells him "he was devastated to be replaced just two weeks before production started," and then even more upset when the Variety piece that ran yesterday didn't even mention him as a producer. (IMDb still lists Polk as director, though. Good old unreliable IMDb.) Polk tells deadline he's considering litigation,...

When word hit earlier today that a micro-budgeted adaptation of Atlas Shrugged had started filming with no stars attached and a first-time feature director in charge, it seemed something had gone seriously wrong since the days when Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron were considering starring. The problem was that rights holder John Aglialoro would lose them if he didn't start filming by June 11, but apparently as he frantically put things into place to meet the deadline, a key person fell out: the director. Stephen Polk, another first-timer, had been set to direct the film as of late May, but when the production was announced today his name was nowhere in sight. Now he's taking to Deadline Hollywood with his complaints, claiming he was devastated to be replaced at the last minute by director Paul Johansson and that it's still possible he'll take legal action against the film's producer. It's unclear...

When I last checked on the project to turn Ayn Rand’s mammoth Atlas Shrugged into a feature film, Stephen Polk was excitedly discussing how he would realize a dream by coming out of nowhere to direct the film on June 11th. Well, the movie made its start date, but Polk is on the outside looking in. It's One Tree Hill star Paul Johansson directing and starring among a low-wattage cast, considering that Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron each seriously flirted with playing protagonist Dagny Taggart. (Now that role will be played by Taylor Schilling.) Polk tells me he was devastated to be replaced [...]...

As announced a couple of weeks ago, shooting on the long gestating film adaptation of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, began over the weekend. As not previously announced though, the director is now Paul Johansson, who replaced Stephen Polk at the eleventh hour, in mysterious circumstances.Polk, according to Deadline, is devastated, both at his loss of the gig and at his apparent airbrushing from the production's history, even as a producer. Litigation is on the cards, which is possibly bad news for a film that has little money to start with.Atlas Shrugged has been put together as an indie operation by exercise equipment entrepreneur John Aglialoro: he bought the rights for a million bucks in 1993. The cast, described by Deadline as "low wattage", sees Taylor Schilling (TV's Mercy) as Raynd's industrialist heroine Dagny Taggart, Grant Bowler (Ugly Betty, The Killer Elite) as metal-magnate Henry Reardon, and Johnansson himself (One Tree Hill,...

It looks like Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged has actually moved into film production. The movie started shooting over the weekend, which is a surprise because last we heard there was no official word on who was attached to star in or direct it. The only thing we really knew what that producer John Aglialoro was going to get the film into production and in front of cameras no matter what.

The film was originally supposed to be directed by Stephen Polk, son of former MGM chairman Louis Polk, but at some point during the last couple of weeks Paul Johansson, creator and director of the TV show One Tree Hill, was brought in to develop the film adaptation.

It should be very interesting to see how this movie turns out, I have a feeling it's not going to be good. This film was rushed into production at the...

Atlas is finally shrugging towards theater screens. A few weeks ago we told you that producer John Aglialoro was going to get a feature version of Ayn Rand's novel together come hell or high water. And, indeed, cameras started to roll on Atlas Shrugged Part One over the weekend. Who are the star and director? Same guy: Paul Johansson, of the TV show One Tree Hill. When last we reported on this, Stephen Polk, son of former MGM chairman Louis Polk, was set to direct. At some point in the past couple weeks Johansson came on board. He has directed a few things in the past, most notably a dozen episodes of his show. And if he wanted a feature career, he's found one of the more uniquely Hollywood ways to jumpstart one: agree to direct a last-minute production of a massive novel for a producer who has to...

There have been rumors for many years of a big screen adaptation of Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel, Atlas Shrugged. Now, though he doesn’t have a cast yet, John Aglialoro who bought the rights back to Rand’s novel in 1992 has announced that filming will begin on June 11th. Aglialoro’s plan is to make four feature films out of the classic novel, first-time feature director Stephen Polk (Baggage) will helm the project with a script by Brian O’Tool.

Deadline reports that while no stars are currently attached to the film, Aglialoro is said to be seeking out actresses such as Maggie Gyllenhaal and Charlize Theron for the lead role of Dagny Taggart. Deadline states that reps for Gyllenhaal and Theron indicated that they were aware of the film but would not be signing on.

Director Stephen Polk told the site that they are not intimidated to film a...

Can a film be pushed into production through sheer force of will? Over the decades there have been multiple attempts to film Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. In the last decade the movie has almost been made a couple of times, but plans have always fallen through. Now producer John Aglialoro, who bought the book rights for $1m in 1992, will make the film one way or the other. He plans to shoot on June 11. The only problem: he's got no cast. Deadline reports Aglialoro's ambitious plans, which are almost hilariously in line with the scope of the novel. He aims to produce four films, with the relatively inexperienced Stephen Polk, son of former MGM chairman Louis Polk, set to direct. The producer claims he's working to hire Maggie Gyllenhaal or Charlize Theron to play the central role of Dagny Taggart, but neither is cast. All of which doesn't have...

Seventeen years after paying a million dollars for the option on Ayn Rand's colossal magnum-opus, producer and entrepreneur John Aglialoro is finally preparing to get started on Atlas Shrugged. The first of a projected four films based on the novel will go before cameras in Los Angeles on June 11th. The snag? Nobody knows who's going to be in it yet.Aglialoro, who made his fortune in exercise equipment, is funding the start date out of his own pocket, having got fed up with the studio runaround. Pre-production has apparently been quietly underway for several months. The director is Stephen Polk, son of former MGM chairman Louis Polk. He explained to Deadline that "for more than 15 years, this has been at studios and there has been a whole dance around who’ll play the iconic roles. Making it an independent film was the game-changer. Everybody is saying, how can...

The last time we wrote anything about the adaptation of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged that's in the works was way, way back in 2007, when Ukrainian director Vadim Perelman (of House of Sand and Fog and The Life Before Her Eyes) was still attached. We finally have a new update, though, as Deadline is reporting that entrepreneur John Aglialoro, who bought the option on the book some 17 years ago, has announced that he's personally financing the film as an independent feature and will even begin shooting in Los Angeles on June 11th - but he doesn't have any actors lined up yet at all. Uh, how is he going to pull this off last minute? Aglialoro has hired Stephen Polk, an actor/producer who help direct Baggage in 2008 (uncredited), will be directing Atlas Shrugged. Polk made this statement about why they're going to start shooting right away: "For more than...

The long-gestating film adaptation of Ayn Rand's 1957 literary classic "Atlas Shrugged" has suddenly raced forward and will head into production in just two weeks reports Deadline New York.

Entrepeneur John Aglialoro scored the film rights to the work back in 1992 but attempts to adapt the 1100-page property have encountered numerous problems and false starts over the years. The likes of Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron and Faye Dunaway have also been attached at one point or another.

As a result, a fed up Aglialoro is proceeding along his own agenda and is independently financing a June 11th production start in Los Angeles on the first in a quadrilogy of features based on the objectivism-spouting property. Brian O’Tool and Aglialoro co-wrote the script and Stephen Polk has been hired to make his directorial debut on the project which has been in secretive pre-production for months.

The surprise here though is...

It's been 17 years since exercise equipment magnate John Aglialoro paid $1 million for the rights to Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand's totemic novel about capitalism and free will and all that other Ayn Rand stuff. Since then we've seen a whole host of names come and go from the film, with the latest incarnations finding either Angelina Jolie or Charlize Theron playing the central character Dagny Taggart. As right now neither of them-- no stars at all, for that matter-- are still attached, but Aglialoro has decided enough is enough. Deadline reports that he plans to start production on the film on June 11 regardless of which actors are on board, and it will just be the first of four films based on the gigantic book. Stephen Polk, son of former MGM chairman Louis Polk and first-time director, will be directing the whole thing, which normally would be cause for worry but...

"Atlas Shrugged," the 1957 Ayn Rand novel about a dystopian future, will move into independent production on June 11, according to Deadline New York . The book was optioned in 1992 by John Aglialoro, who paid one million dollars for complete rights to a film version. Since then, a number of false starts have plagued the project, including former plans to develop the story as a television miniseries. Aglialoro's current plan is to turn the massive novel into four features, directed by first timer Stephen Polk with a script by Brian O'Tool and Aglialoro himself. No stars are currently attached, though Deadline reports that Charlize Theron and Maggie Gyllenhaal are the top choices to play the lead, Dagny Taggart. Failure to lock celebrity talent, though, is no longer...