Luca Guadagnino To Direct New Film Adaptation of ‘American Psycho’

Luca Guadagnino is officially set to direct new film adaptation of American Psycho, the gory contemporary classic by queer author Bret Easton Ellis.

Guadagnino, who has been on a roll with his most recent box office hit, Challengers, and the soon-to-be-released Queer – the latter of which is on quite the successful festival run, garnering rave reviews from fans and critics alike.

According to Deadline, it’s a no-brainer for Guadagnino to execute Bret Easton Ellis’ stand out novel. The film will be written by Scott Z. Burns and produced by Lionsgate. 

“We are thrilled to add another elite filmmaker to our upcoming slate,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson. “Luca is a brilliant artist, and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.”

American Psycho was Easton Ellis’ third and most successful novel. The gay author, who came out in 2012, was faced with both backlash and praise for the story’s graphic violence and Easton Ellis’ scathing indictment of Wall Street and the vicious aspects of capitalism.

American Psycho not a ‘remake’ of the 2000 classic

Although the film is in early development stages, Deadline confirmed that Guadagnino’s adaptation will not be a remake of the noughties cult-classic but rather a ‘fresh take’ on Ellis’ novel.

Easton Ellis’ novel was first adapted in 2000 by Mary Harron follows the suave, status-obsessed and cold blooded killer or banker, Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale.

The film was heavily praised for Bale’s electrifying performance, Harron’s masterful direction and blend of horror and satire. The success of the film spawned a huge following and even a fantastically bloody musical adaptation.

Internet is are already fan-casting for who will play Patrick Bateman

Twitter was set ablaze from the news with comments ranging from criticism for a remake of Harron’s adaptation, citing the film as ‘untouchable’.

However, people are also already eagerly guessing who should be the new Patrick Bateman, and if the casting might just be little more explicitly queer with Guadagnino at the helm.

“Why are they giving this remake to a gay director? He’s gonna make Patrick Bateman kiss boys!”

You do realize that the author of the book that ‘American Psycho’ is based on is gay and that the film was written by a lesbian, right? https://t.co/eYz1VoaVsK

— A Baguette Who Screams Into the Void ✡️ 🕉️ 🍉 (@nacyra_u) October 18, 2024

call nicholas alexander chavez now https://t.co/i7D3s6lIz6 pic.twitter.com/nZOT0hnHIR

— mari (@MCsaints) October 19, 2024

jacob elordi get your agent on the phone https://t.co/B2iTWJGtIu

— trish (@ULTRAGLOSS) October 18, 2024

The only correct Patrick Bateman fancast is Sam Reid btw https://t.co/LPOU64JLfJ pic.twitter.com/fdkKCPan3v

— Tera Anhedonia (@tera_bytess) October 20, 2024

sorry i love luca but we already have a nearly perfect adaptation of an almost unadaptable novel, which works in large part because women who worte and directed it understood how funny it was. why is this happening? https://t.co/nywgHgmsNj

— Rose Dommu (@rosedommu) October 18, 2024

New wave of popularity online for the ‘Sigma Male’ film American Psycho 

The iconography of American Psycho (2000) has re-emerged on the internet with stills and reactions from the film heavily memed, even birthing the ‘Sigma Male’ trend, which has flooded the internet since 2021. 

Although the character of Patrick Bateman is obviously an extreme representation of hyper toxic masculinity, the money-hungry maniac has actually become somewhat of a role model to men, in recent years, for his ‘grind’ mindset and no-strings relationships with women (who he murders). The ‘sigma male’ interpretation of Bateman is ultimately much more shallow than Easton Ellis’ or Harron’s interpretation.

In the meanwhile, Guadagnino’s content will continue to keeps the gays fed with films like Queer and his upcoming thriller After the Hunt (2025) starring the iconic Julia Roberts, Chloë Sevigny and Andrew Garfield.