Luca Guadagnino will be in charge of the rehabilitation of American Psycho

The director of Challengers will once again tackle Bret Easton Ellis' bestseller. 24 years after Christian Bale, who could lend his features to Patrick Bateman?

According to VarietyLuca Guadagnino is about to finalize negotiations for a new interpretation of Bret Easton Ellis' cult novel: American Psycho (1991) for Lionsgate.

The filmmaker had already tackled a monument of genre cinema by directing Suspiria in 2018, received rather coldly due to its themes being too close to the original work. Lionsgate took care to clarify that this new project will not be “a remake of the 2000 film with Christian Bale, but a new adaptation“. It will be written by Scott Z. Burns (The Report2019).

Ready for a remake of American Psycho?

The version with Bale in the role of Patrick Bateman, already produced by the same studio in 2000, and well received by the public, was written as a duo by director Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner (Go Fish1994).

The president of Lionsgate TV, Kevin Beggs, confirmed in 2021 that an adaptation ofAmerican Psycho in series was under development. No consequences. Then, in 2024 it was the turn of The Shardsthe author's latest novel, to be the subject of a screen transposition project. Luca Guadagnino was interested, then left in May, leaving room for Kristoffer Borglia crazy director launched by Certain Regard at Cannes then propelled thanks to Dream Scenario.

With this new American Psychowe would also start here with an assumed author's vision. Or in the words of Lionsgate Motion Picture President Adam Fogelson:

“We are delighted to welcome a talented new filmmaker to our teams. Luca is a brilliant artist, someone of complete vision who will certainly be able to imagine a completely new interpretation of this classic.”

The director of Call me by your Name could he be finding the right distance from the studios? Alongside major productions Challengers (2024) for MGM And After The Hunt (2025, in post-production) for Amazon PrimeGuadagnino knows how to flirt with independent cinema as with Queerits eponymous adaptation by William S. Burrough, with Daniel Craig as a homosexual secret agent.

What will this new project look like? As for Queerthe delegated production will be entrusted to Frenesy Pictures, the director's historical company since A Bigger Splash (2015). Enough to hope that the hyperactive filmmaker finds some oxygen.

Why Mary Harron, the director of American Psycho, regrets the ending of the film