I wish this could have been filmed in the 50s. I keep visualizing Tallulah Bankhead as Dagny.

Ida Lupino is Dagny Taggart...PERIOD!

There are many beautiful and talented actresses who have actually read Atlas Shrugged to possibly choose from. How about a Russian actress? Asian? Indian?

Having just watched Parts 1 & 2 back-to-back, it was a little bit of a culture shock for me to see Taylor Schilling gone as Dagny. She should come back in Part 3, but my hope is that Esai Morales, who played a far more passionate and relevant Francisco D'Anconia, would be back. I found his performance riveting and intense, as Rand's Frisco would be as the storyline progresses. For me, it's a hard choice as to Grant Bowler or Jason Beghe as Hank Rearden. I thought both were fine in the role but Jason has what I would call the Henry Rearden edge, to his persona. I also liked the way his character and D'Anconia's worked together in Part 2, so my ultimate choice would have to be Jason Beghe. And I thought Graham Beckel played Ellis Wyatt masterfully, as did Richard T. Jones in the role of Eddie Willers. He had a great presence, and seemed to naturally wield Eddie's indispensable sixth sense that Ayn Rand gave Dagny's right-hand operational partner at Taggart Transcontinental. Ultimately, a wise admixture of Parts 1 and 2 actors would make for a strong, unforgettable Part 3.

Okay. Let's look a who we have nominated:
Taylor Schilling
Samantha Mathis
Jodie Foster (too old?)
Angelina Jolie (too famous?)
Kate Beckinsale
Claire Danes
Angie Harmon
Dana Perino
Candace Cameron
Marjorie Monaghan

You taking notes, Scott?

and her brother Kirk could play her brother James :)

We love Taylor.....But if she isn't available how about giving Candace Cameron a shot at it.

Sorry everyone, but I liked Samantha more than Taylor. I think Taylor was too 'young girl', didn't strike me as being as the owner of the world's largest railroad. If choosing someone new I think it should be someone who's read the book and agrees with the principles. Not knowing who that might be, the first actress that came to my mind is Jodie Foster. Or Sandra Bullock. I prefer Hank from part 2.

She's way too much of a progressive. Besides, she would be calling all the government types pu$$i*s.

Woops... I accidentally said this was spam. I just meant to disagree with the statement. I liked two better.... but I love them both.

I've posted that same idea a few times over the past few months, and it always disappears.

Saying you want to play Dagny Taggert is not a publicity thing. Only about 1% of people would have any idea what you are talking about and 3/4 of them would hate you for it.

Angelina Jolie was not serious. Her real life proves that. It was a publicity thing, only.

I remember reading somewhere that Angelina Jolie had her heart set on playing Dagny Taggart someday. Her normal salary would break the budget for Part 3, but if she wants to do it so much, she might accept less. She would be great as Dagny.

Anna Torv should be Dagny Taggert. Watch one episode of Fringe and you'll see why.

Dagny was never mean or spiteful or hateful or venomous. She actually kept a lot of her opinions to herself. We know them because we are omniscient readers: we hear her thoughts. Mostly, she asked a lot of rhetorical questions. Dagny granted respect at a very basic and humane level even to her enemies to the extent that was possible. Dagny had a benevolent sense of life.

First of all, I loved the novel. The fact that you did a very cheap production of this classic is bad enough, but to not do whatever it took for the sake of consistency and quality regarding the massive and unacceptable changes in actors is an insult to Ayn Rand. You should have moved mountains to keep Taylor Shilling and the rest of the more than apt cast or given the project to someone who had to ability and class to do so. I was disgusted and deeply disappointed that you ruined what could have been a decent trilogy. I totally agree with the person who lobbied for a re-shoot of II and returning the original cast from the first film. Ugh! You did not honor the memory of Ayn Rand one bit by your ineptitude. You made a discount store version of part two and it, frankly, stunk.

That would be a hard one... he does have the looks, his age is right on the money, he and Taylor would be a stunning couple, and he has played ultra-high "horsepower" characters... add to that he did come from conservative roots, but he's a champion of the looter class and a serious Obamaist. Otherwise, I really *do* think that he could play the part and do it justice... plus, having a major name as JG would propel AS3 into the stratosphere... I'm just not sure if someone of his political leanings would detract from the credibility of the message...

It's too bad Eastwood isn't about 40 years younger! ;-)

Brad Pitt. It might take a little more money.

Graham Beckel is exactly the right actor for Wyatt !!

Well . . . I sincerely hope they're not listening to us. As for AS1 vs. AS2, AS2 is the middle of the book - and the middle is notorious for being the most boring. I've re-watched both and I believe AS2 is a much better production. In my humble opinion.

... by the way... Dagny had brown hair.

Relative age of the characters is a factor. Rearden was in his early 50s, as were the other senior capitalists, while Dagny, James, Francisco, Eddie Willers, John Galt, Ragnar, et al, were of the ascending generation. If Dagny gets younger - Taylor Shilling over Samantha Mathis - then Eddie needs to lose a few years, also - Edi Gathegi versus Richard T. Jones. In fact, of the two, Gathegi had a stronger presence. In his confrontations with James Taggart in the book, Eddie's dialog is supported by narrative and background which the movie cannot deliver directly, but Gathegi did it well with body language and looks. He was quiet but very clear, very easy to read.