When it comes to one of the best psychological thrillers of all time, I’m sure one of the first you think of is American Psycho – and now, there’s reportedly a new adaptation of the novel coming out.
While the original film, released in 2000, is a classic—and directed by game-changing female director Mary Harron—it was only a matter of time before American Psycho received another adaptation since the book is hugely popular.
But, who will be reportedly directing this new film? And who’s going to star? And is it even really happening? This is what we know so far about the reported new American Psycho adaptation.
What Is The American Psycho Release Date?
At the time of writing this, January 2025, American Psycho has no set release date, which isn’t that surprising.
Right now, there isn’t much info in terms of cast or even when production might start.
It’s certainly not going to be on any 2025 movie schedule, but maybe that’s a blessing in disguise with how many big films are coming out this year. Some major movies are releasing – from the upcoming Thunderbolts* to the long-awaited The Fantastic Four: First Steps to the second half of Wicked, titled Wicked: For Good. Perhaps it’ll be better for the film to be released at some point in the next few years.
The Reported American Psycho Cast
According to Variety, Austin Butler was the only cast member reported to be connected to the new American Psycho film in December 2024. The actor is poised to play Patrick Bateman, the main character.
If you recall, in the original, Bateman was played by Christian Bale – and many consider his part in the film to be one of Bale’s best movies ever since, because he played it so well. It feels almost impossible to imagine anyone else but the former Batman playing Bateman, but honestly, I don’t mind the idea of Butler in the role.
If there had to be a different actor to play this role, Butler would be on my list. There were rumors for a time that Euphoria cast member Jacob Elordi would play Bateman (also another great casting choice if that were the case), but I’m very content with Butler.
The actor has taken on many transformative roles throughout his career thus far—one of his most well-known was portraying Elvis in Elvis, a role that earned him an Academy Award nomination. Aside from that, he has appeared in various movies such as Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and more, as well as big-time TV shows like Masters of the Air.
If it had to be anyone, I’m glad it might (reportedly) be him.
What Is American Psycho About?
So I’m sure that if you’ve gotten this far in the article, you at least know what American Psycho is about – but maybe you don’t, and you’re just an Austin Butler fan wanting to learn more about his next project. If that’s the case, let me tell you what this remarkable film could be.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, which was released in 1991. The new film isn’t meant to be a remake of the 2000 feature, but as a new adaptation, according to Deadline.
The book follows the life of Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street investment banker by day and a serial killer by night, and spoke out about yuppie culture and consumerism in New York at the time – and, honestly, it’s something that can even connect with people nowadays in my opinion. The book was a huge hit back when it came out, but faced a lot of controversy for its graphic violence and everything else involved with it, though it’s still considered a modern-day classic nowadays.
The original film certainly had elements of horror, but you were really there more for the great acting and the psychological aspects—which messed with my friends’ heads when they first watched American Psycho. It’s a great book to adapt into a film.
Reportedly, Luca Guadagnino Will Direct And Scott Z. Burns Wrote The Script
According to the Deadline article above, Luca Guadagnino will reportedly direct the new adaptation of American Psycho, and Scott Z. Burns reportedly will pen the script.
Lionsgate, the production company behind the adaptation, said that they were looking for someone to give the story a “fresh take,” and this was the director to do it:
We are thrilled to add another elite filmmaker to our upcoming slate. Luca is a brilliant artist and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.
Guadagnino has had quite the run over the last several years, with a big hit in Challengers, as well as several other well-received films like Queer, Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All and more. To have him take on something like American Psycho is fantastic.
Scott Z. Burns has written for movies such as The Bourne Ultimatum, The Informant!, Contagion, The Laundromat, Last Days, and more.
Bret Easton Ellis Says The Remake Is “Fake News”
This is where things get messy. While it’s great that we have all this news, the author of American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis, has openly said that he believes this remake to be “fake” and that it’s all just for a reaction from the public. He openly spoke about it on his personal podcast (via World of Reel):
I have a feeling it’s fake news. 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. 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.
He continued to say that if there is a movie being made, he is “not involved” in it whatsoever:
If it does exist, I am not involved, I have nothing to do with this, I might get some money if they do this, but I am not involved creatively on any level, and that is all I know.
While the casting report and the movie announcement are from reputable sources, the author himself says that he doesn’t believe it will happen…hence the reported aspect of all the details we have thus far. So, at this time, we really don’t know. Everything is up in the air, and we’re just waiting for another announcement.
What are you looking forward to with American Psycho? I think it’s time for a rewatch.