“Foxcatcher” star Steve Carell is eyeing another drama.
The actor is in talks to join Brad Pitt, Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling in “The Big Short,” an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap. The financial drama is Plan B and Paramount’s upcoming adaptation of Michael Lewis’s non-fiction book “The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine.”
The story explores last decade’s housing and credit bubble collapse, in which Carell would play Steve Eisman, one of the money movers who got his hands dirty shorting subprime mortgages. Pitt’s Plan B already has a script from Adam McKay (“Ant-Man”), who will also direct.
The actor turned in a transformative performance as wrestling coach John du Pont in “Foxcatcher,” which co-starred Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. Carell’s portrayal of the real-life villain earned him Golden Globe, SAG Award and BAFTA nominations.
Before starring in Bennett Miller’s dark wrestling drama, Carell was mostly known for comedic roles, including two “Anchorman” movies, written and directed by McKay, and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” Carell also famously starred on NBC’s “The Office” for the majority of its nine-season run.
WME and Media Four Management represent Carell.
THR first reported the casting.