The rags-to-riches biopic has proven to be a crowd-pleasing template for movie gold. Tracing the origins of a noted person of interest as they ascend the ladder of success is a sure-fire way to capitalize on a business’s notoriety in the public domain. With The Social Network an example of the darker shades of corporate practice linked to Facebook, and another Steve Jobs biopic en route, the rise of the underdog movie still has a few miles left. Bearing that in mind, the next business earmarked for the big screen treatment is fast food giant, McDonald’s, in The Founder.
According to a report by THR, the director tasked with bringing the story of the globally recognized burger slingers to theatres is The Blind Side helmer, John Lee Hancock. In conjunction with FilmNation and The Combine – Jeremy Renner’s production outfit – he’s set to tell the story of the company’s rise to world domination.
Based on a script by Robert Siegel (Big Fan), the drama is expected to tell the story of how Illinois salesman, Robert Kroc, met Mac and Dick McDonald, two brothers operating a burger joint in Southern California. Impressed by their work ethic, he saw potential to turn their business into a franchise. So began his ploy to take McDonald’s from the brothers and lead it to billion-dollar glory. The tactics of Kroc will be explored in the drama, which will apparently be a blend of The Social Network and There Will Be Blood.
No stranger to adapting real-life stories for cinematic consumption, Hancock’s track record for biopics is favourable. His most recent work includes the aforementioned Sandra Bullock vehicle and last year’s Walt Disney tale, Saving Mr. Banks. With his reputation for producing award-winning content, it’s likely we can expect a slew of big names in connection with the lead role in The Founder. ‘
Tell us, who would you cast as the salesman-turned-billionaire Ray Kroc? Seeing as Renner is on the production staff, would it be a good idea to let him take the reins? Let us know in the comments!