Weinstein Co. wins bidding war for Michael Keaton’s McDonald’s filmMarch 2, 2015 - 10:43 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - In a competitive situation, the Weinstein Company has closed a deal to acquire “The Founder”, which is set to star Michael Keaton as McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, TheWrap said, citing multiple individuals familiar with the bidding war. John Lee Hancock will direct from a script by Robert Siegel, and FilmNation is producing with Jeremy Renner and Don Handfield’s company The Combine. Described as being in the vein of “The Social Network” and “There Will Be Blood,” the drama is expected to have all the makings of a strong awards contender that could return the Weinstein Company to Oscar glory. Chronicling the rise of McDonald’s fast food empire, “The Founder” tells the true story of how Illinois salesman Ray Kroc met brothers Mac and Dick McDonald, who were operating a hamburger restaurant in southern California in the 1950s. Kroc subtly maneuvered himself into a position to take control of their company, which grew into one of the world’s best-known brands after he bought the chain for $2.7 million in 1961. Keaton is a hot commodity in Hollywood after his powerhouse performance in “Birdman,” which earned him a Golden Globe award as well as an Oscar nomination. He’s currently preparing to shoot Legendary’s “Skull Island” with Tom Hiddleston and J.K. Simmons. Representatives for The Weinstein Company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Top stories The creative crew of the Public TV had chosen 13-year-old Malena as a participant of this year's contest. She called on others to also suspend their accounts over the companies’ failure to tackle hate speech. Penderecki was known for his film scores, including for William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”, Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”. The festival made the news public on March 19, saying that “several options are considered in order to preserve its running” Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |