The upcoming Adam McKay and Will Ferrell-produced biopic about former Vice President Dick Cheney has already found its gruff ex-Haliburton CEO in Christian Bale. What’s more, his American Hustle co-star Amy Adams will portray Cheney’s wife, Lynne Cheney, while fellow The Big Short actor Steve Carell is playing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. But what about the real star of the White House administration that served from 2001 to 2009? According to an exclusive by The Hollywood Reporter, the supporting role of President George W. Bush himself will be played by none other than Sam Rockwell.
Per THR, the Moon and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind actor “is in final negotiations to add his name to the call sheet,” which includes Bale, Adams, Carrell and former pretend president Bill Pullman. Once this last bit of housekeeping is done, however, Rockwell will portray the man “who steered the nation through the attacks of 9/11, the events that allowed Cheney to exercise his power when it came to fighting terrorism” once the untitled film begins production in late September.
Of course, Rockwell won’t be the first actor to play the famous former president in recent memory. During his Saturday Night Live days, Ferrell often lampooned the public figure with great success. Josh Brolin played Bush with far less acclaim in Oliver Stone’s 2008 film W., which hit theaters while the very people it sent up on the big screen were still in office. (Richard Dreyfuss played Cheney in that picture.) Dennis Quaid, meanwhile, was initially slated to play the president in the upcoming Hurricane Katrina-themed season of American Crime Story, but a change in direction may see him in another role entirely.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
