The final chapter of the “Atlas Shrugged” film trilogy is on its way to theaters, and it will feature the acting debut of Ron Paul. The former congressman and presidential candidate will appear in a special cameo, alongside conservative commentators Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. Hannity also appeared in “Part II.”
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Paul will take on the role of a television commentator, working alongside Beck and Hannity. They’ll be covering a speech by John Galt, portrayed in this film by Kristoffer Paloha. He follows Paul Johansson and D.B. Sweeney, who portrayed him in Parts I and II, respectively.
“It made me stop and think and assess all my beliefs and principals, but it made me come out stronger because of the challenge,” said Paul in a promotional video for the film. “The most important thing about ‘Atlas Shrugged’ was the fact that it challenged conventional wisdom … and the willingness to stand up and challenge, and not go along with the status quo, and not be pushed around by the masses. That makes a difference.”
Also read: ‘Atlas Shrugged: Part II’ Review: Tea-Party ‘Twilight’ Improves a Bit in This Still-Strident Sequel
Despite the fact that the first two films in the series lost money at the box office, and were soundly drubbed by critics — “Part I” has an average score of 3.5 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes, while “Part II” fared even worse overall with a 2.8 average — the third film was nevertheless greenlit. It was partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign which raised nearly half a million dollars.
“Atlas Shrugged Part III: Who Is John Galt?” was directed by J. James Manera from a screenplay he wrote with Harmon Kaslow and John Aglioloro. All three men also produced the film, which co-stars Laura Regan, Joaquim de Almeida, Eric Allen Kramer and Rob Morrow. Atlas Distribution Company will release it to theaters on Friday, September 12.