Atlas Shrugged: Part I

Atlas Shrugged: Part I follows Dagny Taggart, who helps run the family railroad company, Taggart Transcontinental, as the United States slides toward a planned economy. With politicians and regulators tightening their hold on industry, she fights to keep the railroad running while her brother James, who shares control of the business, works against her interests. She finds an ally in steel magnate Hank Rearden, whose new metal could transform rail transport, and she also crosses paths with Francisco D'Anconia. Meanwhile, prominent industrialists begin disappearing under mysterious circumstances.

The film adapts the first portion of Ayn Rand's 1957 novel, a book that had long been considered difficult to bring to the screen. Paul Johansson directed, working from a screenplay by Brian Patrick O'Toole and John Aglialoro, with Harmon Kaslow and Aglialoro producing. Taylor Schilling plays Dagny, Grant Bowler plays Hank Rearden, and Matthew Marsden plays James Taggart, alongside Edi Gathegi, Jsu Garcia and Graham Beckel. The production had a budget of 20 million dollars and returned about 5 million at the worldwide box office.

The ratings reflect a divided response. On IMDb the film holds 5.6 out of 10 from roughly 15,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 5.5 out of 10 from about 222 votes. A critics' rating of 3.8 out of 10 from around 50 reviews sits below both audience scores. The film was conceived as the opening chapter of a multi-part adaptation of the novel.