“I know what you’re thinking: How the heck does a 52-year-old, over-the-hill, milkshake machine salesman build a fast food empire with 1600 restaurants and an annual revenue of 700 million dollars? One word–persistence.”
It looks like persistence also covers both recognizing a great idea and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity–and then fighting tooth and nail to make sure you’re the one to benefit from it. That’s what we see in the first trailer, exclusively from USA TODAY, for The Founder starring Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the man who turned McDonalds from a small burger stand with a great concept into the worldwide, Goliath it is today.
“We wanted something different, and that’s when my brother here comes up with one of his brilliant ideas,” says John Carroll Lynch, who plays Mac McDonald, one of the two brothers who started the burger business.
As Nick Offerman, who plays Dick McDonald, says, “Orders ready in 30 seconds, not 30 minutes.” That’s how a little restaurant becomes an every day part of life. Well, that and some Golden Arches to make sure the building stands out.
“McDonald’s can be the new American church, and it ain’t just open on Sundays boys,” says Kroc. Of course, empires aren’t built peacefully, and the business dealings between the franchise pushing Kroc and the McDonald brothers dominates the second half of this trailer. Like the film’s poster says, “He took someone else’s idea and America ate it up.”
Since Michael Keaton is in the movie we can probably just give this the Best Picture Oscar for next year (that’s how it works now, right?). Directed by The Blind Side‘s John Lee Hancock, The Founder is open for business on August 5, and also stars Laura Dern, Patrick Wilson, and Linda Cardellini.
What do you know about the founding of McDonalds? Serve up your thoughts in the comments below.
Images: The Weinstein Company
