Luca Guadagnino to direct a new adaptation of ‘American Psycho’
A new adaptation of American Psycho is in the works with Italian director Luca Guadagnino, the man behind Challengers, Call Me By Your Name and the 2018 Suspiria, currently in talks about the project.
Lionsgate are currently locked into conversations, trying to get Guadagnino to helm the project. He does feel like a perfect fit as Suspiria and Bones and All more than proved his horror capabilities, while the recent film Challengers had the high-octane, glamorous drama that the original 2000 film starring Christian Bale had.
However, it’s understood that the new adaptation won’t be a remake of the earlier film, directed by Mary Harron. Instead, this project will be fully transformed into a new version of Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 satirical novel.
The book, much like the 2000 film, remains a somewhat controversial story. The tale of a high power banker, Patrick Bateman, doing senseless murders on the side is as gory and brutal as you might imagine. But it’s scenes of Bateman murdering two sex workers that lead some to question the ethics of the piece.
But the plot is more nuanced than just violence. Throughout, and especially at the ending, it becomes unknown whether Bateman is actually committing these acts, or if they’re all figments of his imagination as he spirals into a worsening mental state. For decades since the book and original movie were released, this has been a topic of decades amongst fans.
The 2000 film, especially, remains a beloved classic. In a recent interview, actor Chloë Sevigny reflected on the project and said she was “really intimidated” by Bale’s acting process while working on the film. She told Vanity Fair, “When people take themselves so seriously, I kind of shut down, even though I take my work very seriously, and I love acting and whatnot.” She continued, “I was really intimidated by his process and intimidated by him, and I wanted a little more generosity to make myself feel more at ease, which is my own ego.”
But Bateman can’t have been an easy character to take on and for Bale, it seemed as though he saw this character as a chance to break out of his typecast and into a new world of twisted characters.
There is no word yet on who might take on the role this time round. Currently, Lionsgate is in the early stages of getting Guadagnino locked in, stating, “We are thrilled to add another elite filmmaker to our upcoming slate.” Lionsgate motion picture group chair Adam Fogelson continued, “Luca is a brilliant artist, and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.”
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