• • • Atlas Shrugged’ earns $1.7 million at weekend box office 
Anthony Kaufman, Wall Street Journal - Speakeasy Atlas Shrugged movie  |Atlas Shrugged  |Image  | Did conservatives make “Atlas Shrugged – Part 1,” a low-budget adaptation of Ayn Rand’s famous 1957 novel, a box office hit? While the film’s opening weekend sales didn’t reach blockbuster levels, earning $1.7 million from about 300 theaters, the film’s backers are enthusiastic about the results. “We’re at the upper edge of our expectations,” said “Shrugged” producer Harmon Kaslow. “And we’re a way above what the industry expected us to do.” [....] Whether the movie does break out or not, evidence of its potential impact can be felt on the increasing popularity of its source material: As of Sunday, Plume’s paperback edition of “Atlas Shrugged” was the No.4 bestselling book on Amazon.com.   Published: 2011-04-18