The book and film were equally shocking – and have now become an integral part of pop culture. With the novel American Psycho, published in 1991, the American writer Bret Easton Ellis has one disturbingly elegant serial killer story created, which was brilliantly made into a film nine years later.
Mary Harron’s American Psycho regularly appears on best lists when it comes to the defining films of the 1990s, not to mention Christian Bale’s brilliant performance as an investment banker Patrick Batemanwho prefers to use an ax in his free time. Now the original is to be remade into a film.
American Psycho remake from Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino in the works
In recent years there have been repeated attempts to bring the American Psycho brand back to the cinema. As Deadline has learned from its sources, it could actually happen this time because a high-profile director is in the mix in final negotiations for the project: festival favorite Luca Guadagnino.
You can watch the trailer for American Psycho here:
American Psycho – Trailer (German)
Guadagnino’s filmography boasts one amazing film after another. The best known is probably the heartbreaking Call Me By Your Name. Most recently he impressed with the cannibal romance Bones and All and the sports drama Challengers. He has already reissued a horror classic: Suspiria.
Guadagnino’s films are full of hidden longings, dark moods and a sensual view of bodies. He likes to venture into interpersonal abysses researches the psyche precisely of his characters, whether innocent or extreme. He could definitely provide an exciting prospect on Patrick Bateman.
On the American Psycho remake, Guadagnino would be working with screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, who has written thrillers such as Contagion and Side Effects in the past. More concrete information is not yet known about the project, which is being developed under the Lionsgate umbrella.
When does the new American Psycho film start in cinemas?
The script must first be written and the film cast before filming can even begin. In other words: We are still away from a theatrical release very far away. It’s also unclear whether American Psycho will actually be Guadagnino’s next film. His latest work, Queer, will be released in cinemas first.
In the meantime, you can watch Harron’s film adaptation again, which is currently streaming on Netflix. In addition, there is one Direct-to-DVD sequel starring Mila Kunis and released in 2002. It is currently available as a streaming subscription on MagentaTV, but is falling significantly in terms of ratings.