CPAC Gets Sneak Peek of New 'Atlas Shrugged' Film

Conservative activists poured into a standing-room-only hotel conference room Friday afternoon for a brief glimpse of the long-awaited movie adaptation of "Atlas Shrugged," Ayn Rand's 1957 philosophical novel about how government intervention and collectivism wipe out society's creativity, innovation and industry.

The Washington Post quite rightly compared the scene to a screening of Harry Potter at Comic-Con.

Appropriately enough, the film is set to debut April 15 and filmmakers were on scene to promote it to some of the country's most die-hard Rand supporters. "Hollywood does not think enough people" are interested in the message of "Atlas Shrugged," executive producer Harmon Kaslow announced to the room. But with support of CPAC-goers, growing demand for the film could prove them wrong.

Like the book, the film is set in the not-too-distant future. American Spectator's Philip Klein was privileged to preview a few choice scenes on Thursday night and says filmmakers went for a "ripped from the headlines" feel, with "images of the economy tanking, the country's infrastructure collapsing, protests raging in the streets, Congress passing statist legislation, and a TV news anchor leading a panel discussion between some of the book's characters."

"It is a movie that freedom fighters have been waiting decades for," said Max Pappas, the vice president of public policy for FreedomWorks, which co-sponsored the CPAC screening. "I'm pretty sure that it's the best-selling book of the 20th century that has not yet been made into a movie."

With sufficient support and financial backing, the filmmakers hope "Atlas Shrugged: Part I" will be followed by two sequels.

(h/t Hot Air)

What do you think? Will Rand's orginal message ultimately translate onto the big screen?