After the success of The Big Short, Adam McKay – director of Anchorman, Step Brothers and other recent classic comedies – is continuing his venture into more mature drama territory with a Dick Cheney biopic. You’ve probably seen paparazzi shots of Christian Bale carrying a bunch of extra weight to play the role – but aside from that, little has been known about the film, which hasn’t dropped a trailer yet. It’s even been without a name for months – until now, with McKay confirming the title of the film on Twitter.
The director shared a test screening response on social media, adding: “A few more little fixes and we lock! It’s now called Vice.” It’s a fitting title – not only as Cheney was Vice President to George W. Bush through the 00s, but because the political has a considerable reputation of having been a major proponent of the War on Terror. The film will chart Cheney's rise to becoming, as the official synopsis has it, "the most powerful Vice President in history". McKay’s film also stars Amy Adams as Cheney’s wife Lynne, Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfled, Bill Pullman as Nelson Rockefeller, Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, and Scott Pilgrim’s Alison Pill as Mary Cheney.
Vice is set for a US release in mid-December this year, and could be a dark horse in the Oscar race – while the likes of First Man and Roma are currently dominating the conversation, the subject matter here is likely to be a major Oscar draw, and if McKay can work in the same entertainment value here as he did with the financial crisis story in The Big Short (which won Best Adapted Screenplay and was up for Best Picture and Best Director, among other awards) this should be one for critics and mainstream audiences alike.
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