Adam McKay is known for being a funny man, partnering with Will Ferrell on several films in addition to their production house Gary Sanchez Productions and the website Funny or Die.
But if you saw 2010’s The Other Guys, you know McKay had quite a bit to say about 2008’s economic collapse and the role Wall Street played in it with a credits sequence that was almost an educational film. Clearly, this is an issue and story McKay is passionate about, making him a natural — if not a curious choice — to write and direct the movie adaptation of Michael Lewis’ The Big Short, which detailed the role that the housing market and the firms that leveraged those subprime mortgages played in nearly destroying the U.S. economy.
Judging by the first trailer for the film, bad hair was also a problem on Wall Street and among those who noticed that something was very wrong with the real estate market and was about to implode. Look at what McKay did to Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt (who’s also a producer on the film) here!
If this trailer seemed to drop out of nowhere, you’re not the only one surprised. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, McKay admitted that the plan was for a 2016 release. But the movie came together faster than expected and an end-of-the-year release against some very stiff competition indicates that Paramount believes this could draw some awards consideration. (McKay also hopes the film’s subject influences some decision-making during an election cycle that begins shortly after it’s released.)
The Big Short hits theaters nationally on Dec. 23, after premiering at the AFI Fest on Nov. 12 and a limited release on Dec. 11.
