Bale reportedly claimed he would be unable to safely gain the weight for the Michael Mann project to be shot this spring, according to Variety.
The actor, recently nominated for an academy award for his performance in "The Big Short," was expected to play Ferrari during his team's early successes in road racing in the 1950s, an era of stunning machines - and horrifying crashes.
The script is based on legendary auto journalist Brock Yates' biography "Enzo Ferrari, The Man, The Cars, The Races."