2025 marks the 25th anniversary of director Mary Harron’s Bret Easton Ellis adaptation American Psycho (watch it HERE), which has come to be known as a cult classic – and for a while, news reports made it seem that, as an anniversary gift, we’d be getting an American Psycho remake from director Luca Guadagnino, whose credits include Challengers, Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All, Queer, and the Suspiria remake. Guadagnino reportedly signed on to direct the film from a screenplay by Scott Z. Burns (Contagion) back in October, and in December we heard that Austin Butler (Elvis) and Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) were being considered for the lead role of Patrick Bateman, the character who was played by Christian Bale in Harron’s film. But then, Ellis said on his podcast that he thought the remake talk was “fake news” and that deals hadn’t even been secured with Guadagnino or Burns yet. Now, Guadagnino has dodged a question about the project.
Harron’s American Psycho had the following synopsis: Patrick Bateman is a young, handsome, Harvard educated Wall Street success, seemingly perfect with his stunning fiancé and entourage of high-powered friends. But his circle of friends doesn’t know the other Patrick Bateman, the one who lusts for more than status and material things. With a detective hot on his trail and temptation everywhere, Patrick Bateman can’t fight his terrible urges that take him on the pursuit of women, greed and the ultimate crime – murder! Based on the controversial book by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho is a sexy thriller that sets forth a vision that is both terrifying and chilling. Harron wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner.
During an interview with GQ, Guadagnino was asked why he would want to make an American Psycho remake. He replied, “Any director, in this moment, they are all developing projects. Sometimes you develop with Hollywood, sometimes you have material being handed to you by a studio, by a producer. And I think all of us do make two, three, four, five, six, seven developments…” Question successfully dodged. He did add, “Bret Easton Ellis is one of the greatest American writers alive.“
Guadagnino is known to have multiple projects currently in development. In addition to American Psycho, he has the Pier Vittorio Tondelli adaptation Separate Rooms, Christopher Castellani’s Tennessee Williams story Leading Men, the Thomas Mann adaptation Buddenbrooks, the DC Comics movie Sgt. Rock (which would star his Queer lead Daniel Craig and might actually end up being his next film), and he has long been attached to make a new version of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. He’s got a whole bunch of adaptations on his plate.
Would you like to see Luca Guadagnino make an American Psycho remake? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed