Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling To Star In THE BIG SHORT Film

Paramount Pictures, New Regency and Plan B Entertainment today announced casting for THE BIG SHORT, with Christian Bale (“AMERICAN HUSTLE,” “THE DARK KNIGHT” trilogy), Steve Carell (“FOXCATCHER”), Ryan Gosling (“DRIVE,” “CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE”) and Brad Pitt (“FURY,” “WORLD WAR Z”) coming aboard the project for director Adam McKay (the “ANCHORMAN” films, “THE OTHER GUYS”). The film also stars Melissa Leo (“THE FIGHTER,” “FROZEN RIVER”) and Marisa Tomei (“CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE,” “THE WRESTLER”).

The film’s screenplay is written by McKay, from a script by Charles Randolph (“LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS”), based on Michael Lewis’ bestselling non-fiction book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine.

THE BIG SHORT is the remarkable true story of the genius contrarian investors who, recognizing just how insane the housing bubble had become, figured out how to “short” the market prior to the financial collapse of 2008.

Rounding out the cast is Tracy Letts (“Homeland,” “ELVIS & NIXON”), Hamish Linklater (“The Newsroom,” “42”), John Magaro (“UNBROKEN,” “NOT FADE AWAY”), Byron Mann (“THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS,” “RISE OF THE LEGEND”), Rafe Spall (“LIFE OF PI,” “PROMETHEUS”), Jeremy Strong (“SELMA,” “ZERO DARK THIRTY”) and Finn Wittrock (“UNBROKEN,” “American Horror Story”).

The movie will be produced by Academy Award-winners Pitt, Dede Gardner (“SELMA,” “12 YEARS A SLAVE”) and Jeremy Kleiner (“SELMA,” “12 YEARS A SLAVE”) via their Plan B Entertainment banner.

Production has begun in New Orleans.