Christian Bale opts out of Enzo Ferrari biopic

Los Angeles: Actor Christian Bale has exited the upcoming biopic of Italian car manufacturer Enzo Ferrari due to health concerns surrounding the weight gain needed to play the protagonist.

The Michael Mann-film, charting life of the founder Ferrari marque, begins shooting in spring and the actor was concerned about gaining the necessary weight in that short of time, said The Hollywood Reporter.

"The Big Short" actor, 41, is no stranger to intense bouts of weight gain and loss for roles, going from an emaciated in his roles like "The Fighter" and "The Machinist" to unhealthily overweight in "American Hustle".

Mann is currently working on re-casting the part so that the springtime shoot can move forward. The script for "Enzo Ferrari" was written by the "Italian Job" scribe Troy Kennedy-Martin based on the Brock Yates book "Enzo Ferrari, The Man, The Cars, The Races".