REUTERS - Hollywood leading man Matthew McConaughey went through another physical transformation - this time gaining weight and thinning his hair - to play a prospector desperate for a lucky break.

In Gold, McConaughey takes on the role of Kenny Wells, a businessman chasing the American dream by trying to discover a new gold mine.

Wells pairs up with a geologist and they set off on a journey through the Indonesian jungle to find the precious metal. When their mission proves to be successful, Wells makes waves on Wall Street and strikes it rich, but an investigation into his activities threatens to derail his plans.

The story behind "Gold" is inspired by real-life events - the rise and fall of Canadian mining company Bre-X in the early 1990s.
The drama is directed by Oscar-winning director Stephen Gaghan ("Traffic") and also stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Edgar Ramirez and Corey Stoll. The 47-year-old actor famously shed the pounds for his award-winning performance in "Dallas Buyers Club".

McConaughey described Wells's appearance as a "guy who had liquid lunch and liquid dinners", and he ate and drank whatever he wanted whenever he wanted to get into character. "Gold" opens in US cinemas on Jan 27.