The character changed his name to Midas Mulligan after a story calling him Midas (because all his investments made money -> everything he touched turned to gold). The reporter was trying to cut him with this, no one wants to be like the mythological Midas, but he liked the name so he used it. It isn't that Rand just had a character whose parents named him Midas. Wesley Mooch is more out there, but I suppose it is possible there could be a family with the Mooch name that never changed it.
I don't know what the budget is for the movie and looking at the preview it looks like the production values seem about the level of a Syfy channel movie. My guess is that there are enough Rand fans and people just curious to see it to justify a trilogy with limited production values and no huge salaries. Of course the lack of huge salaries is very un-Randian. I don't think Eddie Willars in the book is meant to be black but I don't think it is that important.
You might be right as I haven't read the book recently but that said many of Ayn Rand's names are ridiculous. Wesley Mooch is one but so is Cuffy Meigs and there are more.
My comment was in jest. Back in the time period the book was in, it would have been rare for a black man to be in Eddies's position.
This doesn't look as bad as I expected. One of my best friends who will want to watch it on release weekend, and his wife won't go anywhere near it. I'll probably go with him. To be fair, he's the one who talked me into reading Atlas Shrugged, and sticking with it once I threatened to stop. I haven't completely forgiven him, but this will be over in a couple of hours.
I got it off someone's sig on clutchfans. I forget whose it was but I remember loling when i first saw it
I just noticed that it looks like the actor that plays Quark on Deep Space Nine is in the movie. I guess its fitting that a Ferengi would be in Atlas Shrugged.
