Weinstein Co. Buys Michael Keaton’s McDonald’s Movie ‘The Founder’
The Weinstein Co. has acquired distribution rights to Michael Keaton project “The Founder,” the story of how Ray Kroc turned McDonald’s into a global fast food empire.
FilmNation is producing along with Jeremy Renner and Don Handfield, through their shingle theCombine. The company plans to shoot later this year with John Lee Hancock directing.
The story, developed in the vein of “The Social Network,” will focus on how Kroc — a milkshake dispensers salesman created one of the most powerful brands in the world. Kroc began working for the McDonald brothers in 1954 at the age of 51 as a franchising agent and bought the chain for $2.7 million in 1961.
“The Wrestler” scribe Robert Siegel wrote the ****** for “The Founder.”
Keaton is also starring in Universal-Legendary’s “Kong: Skull Island.”
TWC had no comment on the news, first reported by the Wrap.
UPDATE, Monday, 12:28 p.m. PST — TWC is on board as a co-financier and shooting will start in mid-May in Atlanta. FilnNation has closed sales for Studiocanal in the UK, Elevation Pictures in Canada, Roadshow Films in Australia, Europacorp in France, Splendid Film in Germany, Videa in Italy, Sun Distribution in Latin America and Mis Labels in Scandinavia.
Michael Keaton’s McDonald’s Movie Bought by Weinstein Co. | Variety