For anyone who saw the first installment of Atlas Shrugged, the faces of the sequel may not look familiar. The production has done a complete replacement job on everyone. New director (John Putch), new stars (Samantha Mathis as Dagney Taggart and Jason Beghe as Henry Rearden) and a new look that tries a bit harder to ape the big budget thriller style.
The first trailer shows off the new cast, and there are some really interesting choices. Beyond Beghe (who was pretty must constantly doing the tuck on Californication), there’s Patrick Fabian who you’ll recognize as Zack Morris’ college professor and as the fake preacher of Last Exorcism; Larisa Oleynik from Alex Mack is involved; and D.B. Sweeney (toe pick!) is playing the mysterious John Galt.
Fair warning: if you haven’t read the Ayn Rand novel, this trailer will most likely be double plus confusing. The general atmosphere of shady government deals and a magic machine that could change the game are involved, but especially since it’s a sequel, it’s a trailer aimed squarely at people who will get the details already. Check it out for yourself:
Atlas Shrugged: Part II is in select theaters October 12th. Similar to the anti-Obama doc 2016, it has a shot at co-opting political engagement right now, especially considering the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Paul Ryan, is a big fan of Rand’s works. Releasing it in a lead-up to the November election is probably a smart business move.