Birdman actor Michael Keaton is flying high these days. Now the recipient of a Golden Globe award (and likely an Oscar to follow) for his work on the Alejandro González Iñárritu film, an abundance of choice roles are bound to present themselves to him. Less than a week after his big win at the Globes, he is reportedly already in talks to star in The Founder, a “dark story” detailing the rise of fast food chain McDonald’s.
Robert Siegel (Big Fan) penned the script, which is being described as comparable to The Social Network and There Will Be Blood. John Lee Hancock (Saving Mr. Banks) has signed on to direct the picture, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which follows the true story of McDonald’s mogul Ray Kroc. Hailing from Illinois, the salesman met Mac and Dick McDonald when they were running a Southern California burger outfit in the 1950s. Mesmerized by their ingenious food preparation system, Kroc manipulates the situation, yanking the company from the brothers and eventually going on to create a billion-dollar empire.
Anyone who’s seen Big Fan, about a New York Giants fan (Patton Oswalt) who’s life spirals out of control after he is beat down by his favorite player, knows Siegel has a way with writing dark, entertaining material. Having also wrote The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke, he has a proven track record writing roles for actors making a resurgence. That said, The Founder sounds like it would be a great fit for Keaton.
Keaton reportedly met with Hancock earlier this week to discuss the role of Kroc. Also in talks to join Universal’s Skull Island, it sounds like his schedule is about to get a lot busier.
Keaton also just received an Oscar nomination today for his role in Birdman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszH_jfuJoo8HCG1-lGjvfH2F&v=usnScWU5JkY&feature=player_embedded
Originally published January 15, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
