You are quite correct.
In the rest of the article, they did mention the extant script was for TWO movies, and the creators were, in fact, thinking along the lines of a mini-series.
The catching point for all of this was, while she was alive, Ayn Rand had total script approval - no dummy was Ayn. Now, of course, her estate might likely approve whatever brings in some dough.
or perhaps I'm being too cynical ...
Her estate has tried to keep as much control of the project as possible over the last 20 years. However, it was a gamble to see it produced vs. not. A fine script was written following the outline that Rand herself made for a 4 1/2 hour two part movie. That script was too clear for Hollywood, since it followed the book closely, with some changes to condense the plot. No one in Hollywood understands ideas anymore. This new writer will make a hash of it as the several who came before him since her death. The problem the writers have is not lack of sympathy for her ideas, but the inability to integrate ideas with the actions that carry them out. Thus, their scripts end up a confusing blend of melodrama and sci-fi.