Vice first look reveals Christian Bale's incredible transformation into former US vice president Dick Cheney

Christian Bale has undergone another extreme physical transformation to play Dick Cheney in Adam McKay’s upcoming biopic of the former vice president, as was revealed in the first look unveiled on Tuesday.

With a heavier frame, bald head and bleached eyebrows, Bale has grabbed the spotlight yet again by shapeshfiting into a near-unrecognisable figure in Vice. The 44-year-old actor had previously told Variety that he had “just been eating a lot of pies” to prepare for the role of Cheney.

Vice will follow the former vice president’s influence and impact during his years in President George W Bush’s administration. The film finds Bale reuniting with McKay following 2015’s Oscar-nominated The Big Short.

The film also stars Steve Carell (who also co-starred in The Big Short) as the former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Amy Adams is set to play Lynne Cheney, the former vice president’s wife with Sam Rockwell as President Bush, Bill Pullman as Nelson Rockefeller and Tyler Perry as Colin Powell. Like The Big Short, Vice is produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment.

Bale is known for physically transforming himself for his roles, losing more than 60 pounds and foregoing sleep to achieve a skeletal look for 2004’s The Machinist before then bulking up to play Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. He was nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in The Big Short. He previously won an Oscar for his leading performance in The Fighter.

(With inputs from agencies)