In an April blogpost titled, Atlas of the Silver Screen, I reported on the continued popularity of both the philosophy and novels of Ayn Rand and today Reason.tv, the video branch of Reason magazine, did a story extolling the continued popularity of her ideas and writings.  In that video, which you can view below, they made particular reference to the novel Atlas Shrugged. 

            As I stated earlier this year, Rand worked as a screenwriter in her youth and talk of a movie version of Atlas Shrugged has been around for decades.  Reason.tv mentioned that both Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been promoting the movie.  In April the Internet Movie Database, reported that Jolie has been cast as Dagny Taggart but, they now give Charlize Theron that part.  While many have reported that both Pitt and Jolie are fans of Rand’s work, from what I have been able to read about Theron, she is not.  The Hollywood liberal mindset is diametrically opposed to the philosophy of Ayn Rand as illuminated in Atlas Shrugged. Can the screenwriters, directors, produces and actors subordinate their personal prejudices and create a movie worthy of the novel? I continue to hope so.

Update on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 3:12PM by Kyle Pratt

   I didn’t realize when I wrote the original blogpost, that Reason.tv planned a series of articles on Ayn Rand.  The first program is embedded above, but as of today they have produced four additional programs with Reason Foundation founders Bob Poole, Manny Klausner, Tibor Machan and author Jennifer Burns and more are planned. A promo for the series, titled Radicals for Capitalism, is embedded below.  If you are interested in limited government, capitalism or laissez-faire economics or you simply want to learn more about Ayn Rand, I recommend this series.