The Founder: Michael Keaton hungers for success in new trailer

You could say Ray Kroc earned a metaphorical gold medal for turning the golden arches of McDonald’s into a billion-dollar worldwide empire, but there’s a darker side to the businessman’s astonishing success story, judging by the new trailer for The Founder.

Directed by John Lee Hancock, the film follows Kroc (Michael Keaton) from his days as a struggling salesman in Illinois, where he meets Mac (John Carroll Lynch) and Dick (Nick Offerman) McDonald who, throughout the 1950s, ran a fast-paced burger joint that served meals in “30 seconds, not 30 minutes.”

Kroc, impressed by the brothers’ speedy operations, sought to franchise their diner, and ultimately turned the business into one of the most successful food chains in the world.

“Franchise the damn thing!” a frantic Kroc screams at the budding restauranteurs in the trailer. “There should be McDonalds everywhere, sea to shining sea. I could be growing this thing at twice the pace!”

Robert Siegel, (The Wrestler, Turbo), penned the film’s screenplay, which details Kroc’s calculated maneuvering to take the company from the McDonald brothers. Laura Dern costars as Kroc’s wife, Ethel, while Linda Cardellini, Patrick Wilson, and B.J. Novak also have supporting roles.

The Founder opens Jan. 20 in theaters nationwide, following its Oscar-qualifying run in limited release, which began on Dec. 7. Watch the film’s new trailer above.