Is Vice a secret sequel to Anchorman?
Earlier this week, the trailer for Christian Bale’s new film
Vice dropped, which also stars the likes of Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell.
He plays former Vice President Dick Cheney, in the true story of how George W Bush’s number two came to power.
It is directed by Adam McKay. If you don’t know that name, then shame on you. McKay started out on
Saturday Night Live, and went on to team with Will Ferrell for all of his best movies, including
Anchorman,
Talladega Nights, Step Brothers and
The Other Guys.
McKay then went on to direct
The Big Short – a film about a much more serious, real life issue (the 2007 financial crash), but bring his comic sensibilities with him. And he looks like he is doing the same with
Vice.
As well as Bale,
Vice features some big-name stars as real-world politicians – including Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush and Steve Carell as former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
Carrell of course previously worked with McKay in
Anchorman, where he played dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland. Do you remember how
Anchorman ended? As pointed out by critic Mike Ryan on Twitter, there’s a montage of what the characters did next – and it says Brick went on to be “one of the top advisors to the Bush White House”.
https://twitter.com/mikeryan/status/1047483820155576320
Wait, does that mean
Vice is actually a follow-up to
Anchorman, with Steve Carrell in the White House!?!
Ok, it doesn't really add up - Rumsfeld also served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under Gerald Ford, during the period when
Anchorman is supposed to be set. Plus, y'know, Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney and George Bush are all real people who actually exist in the real world, and shockingly
Anchorman is a fictional movie.
Still, it is a pretty great bit of in-joke casting if it is deliberate.
Ok, it doesn't really add up - Rumsfeld also served as Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under Gerald Ford, during the period when Anchorman is supposed to be set. Plus, y'know, Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney and George Bush are all real people who actually exist in the real world, and shockingly Anchorman is a fictional movie.
Still, it is a pretty great bit of in-joke casting if it is deliberate.
