Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, and Steve Carrell in "The Big Short"

[MrMaooz]

Following the success of “Moneyball,” Brad Pitt and his Plan B shingle have assembled an all-star cast for the next adaptation of a Michael Lewis bestseller.

Sources tell Variety that Pitt, Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling have come on board to star in “The Big Short,” Paramount and Plan B’s adaptation of the Lewis book “The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine” that Adam McKay is writing.

The nonfiction novel tells the story of the build-up of the housing and credit bubble during the 2000s that led to the financial crisis of 2007-2010. Paramount had no comment.

Pitt will produce with DeDe Gardner through their Plan B banner. Whether McKay is also directing is unknown, as is when production will begin.

The book follows several key people who played a role in building the disastrous credit bubble. The feature adaptation will likely feature several a-list actors who have similiar-sized roles a la “Traffic” or “The Counselor.”

Similar to “Moneyball,” Pitt has been very passionate about getting this adaptation onto the big screen.

His Plan B company has emerged as quite the contender in serious dramas that tackle important issues, with “12 Years a Slave” landing last year’s best picture Oscar and its film “Selma” deep in the Oscar race this year.

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/brad-pitt-christian-bale-and-ryan-gosling-to-star-in-financial-drama-the-big-short-exclusive-1201404038/

 

[Hurm...]

This sounds ****ing amazing. Pitt is a smart man. He knows the type of pictures that are socially relevant and contribute to culture. This will likely maintain that trend. 12 Years a Slave and Selma are near-perfect films.

 

[kvz5]

Adam McKay seems like an odd choice although it would be nice to see these three in more of a dark comedy type of film if that's what they're going for.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Nice! Good to see The Goose again.

 

[Fallen Angel]

What a cast so far.

Anything with the Baleman and I'm in.

 

[Bim]

Consider me intrigued

 

[Doctor Jones]

To quote Samuel Jackson:

"Oh Lawd."

Remember the artist in Monty Python and the Holy Grail that suddenly died of a heart attack? That's how I felt when I read the news.

 

[JackWhite]

I am so in!

 

[Sawyer]

Wow, what a great cast, I can't wa--

The nonfiction novel tells the story of the build-up of the housing and credit bubble during the 2000s that led to the financial crisis of 2007-2010.

Pass.

 

[Gold Samurai]

Let's see how much weight bale loses or gains for this role.

 

[kvz5]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-carell-talks-join-christian-763755

Steve Carell in Talks to Join Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling in 'The Big Short' (Exclusive)

Steve Carell, who has already shown his dramatic chops with his acclaimed performance in Foxcatcher, is continuing his push into drama.

The actor is in talks to join Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale in The Big Short, the adaptation of a Michael Lewis best-seller that Plan B is producing for Paramount.

If a deal makes, Carell will join the trio, who are in various stages of talks, in the true-life drama, which chronicles multiple storylines and juggles various characters against the backdrop of housing and credit bubbles of the 2000s that led to the 2007-08 global financial crisis.

Carell will play Steve Eisman, a money manager who shorted subprime mortgages for FrontPoint Partners.

(Gosling is to play Deutsche Bank trader Greg Lippmann. Bale will portray Michael Burry, the founder of the Scion Capital and one of the people first to see the coming crisis. In a supporting role, Pitt will take on Ben Hockett, a partner at Cornwall Capital.)

Pitt and his Plan B shingle are producing Big Short, which has a script by Adam McKay. McKay is on board to direct the drama, although there is no timetable yet.

Carell delievered a transformative performance in Foxcatcher with a role that has already earned him Golden Globe, SAG Award and BAFTA nominations.

Carell, repped by WME and Media Four Management, recently wrapped a supporting role in the drama Freeheld, a gay rights drama that stars Julianne Moore and Ellen Page.

 

[JackWhite]

Carell possibly joining only adds to the win.

Bring it!

 

[kvz5]

Shooting starts next week in New Orleans. Michael Lewis thinks it'll be released by Fall.

From McKays podcast:

http://thefilmstage.com/news/listen...iter-producer-and-director-in-30-minute-talk/

Compared to his other films, McKay said the level of realism is “99.3%” and that Bale’s character of Michael Burry, a hedge fund manager who saw the housing crisis coming, is an “introvert” with Asperger syndrome. Pitt will take the role of trader Ben Hockett, a “paranoid, apocalyptic kind of guy, even though his character is brilliant.” Meanwhile, Carell will play money manager Steve Eisman, who shorted the securitized subprime home mortgages and Gosling is taking the role of Deutsche Bank trader Greg Lippmann, a key figure in the housing collapse. McKay, a fan of dramas and foreign films moreso than comedy calls the project “not really a stretch” for him.

Interview with Michael Lewis (@ 31:00ish):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ8yko69hUw&t=31m13s

He called it McKay's passion project and said that Paramount didn't want to make the film and only said yes when McKay finally agreed to do another Anchorman in exchange. The budget is really small and Pitt, Bale, Gosling, and Carrell all took pay cuts.

 

[BestGirl]

Hope the pay cuts man that the script is awesome.

Bale and Gosling being in the same movie is like a dream come true for me so I'm here for this.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Good god, how much man meat can the pack into a movie about derivatives trading? Just add in Henry Cavill, Matt Damon and Bradley Cooper at this point.

 

[kvz5]

I'm hoping that they didn't cut Meredith Whitney (who is in the book). Anna Gunn would be perfect casting.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mer...=ltoJVcDlLsLvggTUvoCoDw&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg

 

[Pink Ranger]

I'm hoping that they didn't cut Meredith Whitney (who is in the book). Anna Gunn would be perfect casting.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mer...=ltoJVcDlLsLvggTUvoCoDw&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg

I think they almost have to include her; she's a prominent figure in all of this, is probably the most widely known of the main players, and is a rare female character they cannot afford to lose.

Anna Gunn isn't bad, but if they wanted to match the starpower they have with the male cast, I am thinking Kate Hudson or Reese Witherspoon (and I don't even like either of them, but I can see either one in this role).

 

[queendarkness12]

I bet women will be interested because of the handsome cast.

I like how Steve Carrell is making smarter choices for his career lately.

 

[queendarkness12]

Just add in Henry Cavill, Matt Damon and Bradley Cooper at this point.

Do that and ovaries will explode from all the hotness on screen.

Better eye candy than Jamie Dornan for sure. t:

 

[weezerspider]

I would be so much more excited for this if another person was in the director's chair.

 

[kvz5]

I think they almost have to include her; she's a prominent figure in all of this, is probably the most widely known of the main players, and is a rare female character they cannot afford to lose.

Anna Gunn isn't bad, but if they wanted to match the starpower they have with the male cast, I am thinking Kate Hudson or Reese Witherspoon (and I don't even like either of them, but I can see either one in this role).

Hudson could work. Not to mention that I want her to pick better material since I loved her in Almost Famous.

I'm willing to give McKay the benefit of the doubt. He seems to be very passionate about this and I highly doubt that all four of the cast would agree for a pay cut if the script didn't impress them. It's not like a Fincher, Spielberg or even a Malick film where the name alone of the director gets an actor to sign on at minimum wage. My concern is on whether any of these guys would even interact with each other in the film because they're quite isolated from each other in the book.

 

[Pickleweasel]

I bet women will be interested because of the handsome cast.

I like how Steve Carrell is making smarter choices for his career lately.

Steve Carrell has been doing that since the year 2004

 

[terry78]

I would be so much more excited for this if another person was in the director's chair.

Rather he get it and evolve into something new than someone else who would be old hat.

 

[Sawyer]

I would be so much more excited for this if another person was in the director's chair.

I would so much more excited for this if the logline alone didn't make me fall asleep.

 

[Hurm...]

It's a great idea, but yeah, I don't know about McKay.