Hooters founders' story gets buddy-comedy treatment in upcoming film
A new independent film titled 'Hooters: The Movie' will dramatize the chain's founding as a buddy comedy. Co-founder Ed Droste is among the screenwriters, with Jon Rosenbaum directing. The plot follows two friends from Iowa who build a restaurant empire and then face federal government threats.
The film’s production involves several figures with varied backgrounds: director Jon Rosenbaum previously worked on the Fraggle Rock revival, while co-writer Ed Droste is one of the original six founders, collectively known as the Hooters 6. The real first Hooters Girl, Lynne Austin, gained fame through ads and a Playboy spread, which the movie’s “Diane” character loosely mirrors. The plot’s federal government threat echoes the chain’s actual legal battles over hiring practices and other disputes.
The project joins a recent trend of brand-centric biopics, focusing on corporate lore rather than individual inventors. Notably, the real Hooters history includes a 1990s split, bankruptcies, and ventures into casinos, airlines, and a pants-wearing spinoff called Hoots. The film’s buddy-comedy framing appears to downplay these complexities, instead emphasizing a nostalgic, underdog narrative built around the founders’ own perspective.
This film could shape public perception of Hooters by reframing its controversial history as a lighthearted, patriotic tale of friendship and entrepreneurship. Viewers may absorb a sanitized origin story, potentially softening criticism of the chain’s hiring practices and workplace culture. The involvement of a founder as screenwriter suggests a deliberate effort to control the brand’s legacy, which could influence how younger audiences view the company’s social impact. However, its independent release may limit reach, making its cultural footprint modest.