Luca Guadagnino Gives Update on ‘American Psycho’ Remake Casting

Luca Guadagnino (Bones and All, Suspiria) will direct a brand new interpretation of the 1991 book American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis for Lionsgate, and the filmmaker has given an interesting update at CinemaCon today, THR reports.

In December, Variety had reported that Austin Butler (Dune: Part Two) was poised to pick up an axe as Patrick Batement. Guadagnino’s update reveals that’s not quite the case.

To start, the filmmaker called the source material “a book that I deeply love that is something that has influenced me so much.”

The director confirmed that Scott Z. Burns wrote the script, which is said to be a new adaptation of Ellis’s novel and not a remake of the 2000 film. As for casting, he told the CinemaCon crowed that he’s in current “conversation with exciting performers to play the leads.” As in, no one has been set to star just yet.

That was predicted by author Bret Easton Ellis himself on a recent episode of The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. “I have a feeling it’s fake news,” Easton Ellis mused. “I heard somewhere, from someone, that there are no contracts. Austin Butler hasn’t signed anything to play Patrick Bateman. Luca doesn’t have a deal. Scott Burns, who is supposed to write the screenplay, doesn’t have a deal either.”

The author continued, “From various sources that I have, this is just fake news that was put out there to see how an audience is going to react.”

In the story, “A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale in the 2000 movie), hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.”

The new film will be produced by Frenesy Films, executive produced by Sam Pressman, son of Edward R. Pressman, producer of the first adaptation, through his company Pressman Film.

“We are thrilled to add another elite filmmaker to our upcoming slate,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson. “Luca is a brilliant artist, and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.”

Jacob Elordi was also previously considered the frontrunner to play Patrick Bateman in the upcoming adaptation. Elordi will next be seen playing the Monster in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.

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