The Big Short is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film, directed by Adam McKay, and co-written by McKay and Charles Randolph. The film is based on the 2010 book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis, and shows how the 2008 financial crisis was triggered by the United States housing bubble. The film stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt, with John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Hamish Linklater, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, and Marisa Tomei in supporting roles.