WATCH: Christian Bale unrecognizable as Dick Cheney in first trailer of ‘Vice’

A first trailer shows the “Dark Knight” star’s transformation for the role of the former United States  vice-president in Adam McKay’s new film.

The film, previously titled “Backseat”, tells the story of Dick Cheney, George W. Bush’s right-hand man, a powerful bureaucrat in Washington who was at the center of the Bush administration’s foreign policy after 9/11, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Christian Bale, famous for his extreme body transformations for his roles, bulked up to play Cheney, putting on almost 18 kilos. With his gold-rimmed glasses and receding hairline, he is nearly unrecognizable.

Set to the Killers track “The Man”, the trailer’s central scene is a conversation where former U.S. president George W. Bush asks Cheney to be his running mate in the presidential election, intercut with scenes of Cheney with other officials, in the desert and in the halls of power.

Cheney is reluctant to take on the job, pointing out that the vice-presidency is a “mostly symbolic job.”

But he’s open to persuasion. “However, if we came to a different understanding, I can handle the more mundane jobs: overseeing bureaucracy, energy, military and foreign policy.”

Bush replies, “Yeah. Right. I like that.”

Sam Rockwell plays George W. Bush, while Steve Carell is Donald Rumsfeld and Amy Adams is Lynne Cheney. The film also stars Jesse Plemons, Alison Pill, Lily Rabe and Tyler Perry.

Director Adam McKay last directed “The Big Short” in 2015.

“Vice” releases Dec. 25. JB