Vice Trailer: See Christian Bale as Ruthless Dick Cheney

Christian Bale packed on the pounds for his new role as Dick Cheney, who served as Vice President for eight years under George W. Bush, in the Adam McKay-directed film Vice.

The trailer opens with Bush, played by Sam Rockwell, attempting to recruit Cheney to be his Number Two. Cheney comes ready to bargain. Im a CEO of a large company, he explains in a somber, gravelly voice. I have been Secretary of Defense, and I have been White House Chief of Staff. The Vice Presidency is a mostly symbolic job.

But he agrees to take the role on the condition that he can oversee military, energy and foreign policy. After Bush accepts his offer, the Killers single The Man kicks in, and the rest of the trailer shows Cheney flexing his D.C.-insider-muscles at black-tie events and policy summits in the Middle East.

Bale is joined in Vice by Steve Carrell as Donald Rumsfeld Are you even more ruthless than you used to be? Carrell wonders and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, who warns her husband, when you have power, people will always try to take it from you.

McKays last directing credit was The Big Short, which also starred Bale; that film tackled the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008.Vice is due out on Christmas.