Nearly 25 years after the release of the original movie, a new one American Psycho Adaptation is in development with Oscar nominee Luca Guadagnino at the helm. Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel centers on New York City investment banker Patrick Bateman, who often indulges in his more sadistic urges as a serial killer, killing many of his fellow yuppies and women. American Psycho was previously adapted by Mary Harron, with Christian Bale leading the cast and garnering rave reviews for his performance, with the film garnering a cult following in the years since.
Lionsgate is officially moving forward with a new American Psycho Moviewhich is described as a “New interpretation” from Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel of the same name. Guadagnino is currently in final negotiations with the studio to direct the new adaptation, with The Bourne UltimatumScott Z. Burns writes the script. In addition to Lionsgate, the new movie will be produced by Frenzy Films and executive produced by Pressman Film with Sam Pressman, the son of the original movie producer, on board. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson wrote the following statement about the new movie:
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 powerful and classic IP.
What Guadagnino’s hiring means for American Psycho
This isn’t his first reinterpretation of a horror classic
Interestingly, this is not the first time a studio has sought to expand on the original American PsychoIt’s success, because Produced a direct-to-video sequel in 2002 starring Mila Kunis Taking over as a new main character who killed Patrick Bateman in her childhood. Unlike the first movie, however, Kunis’s sequel was met with near-universal panning from critics, with Ellis denouncing the film before its release. Kunis has also come out in the time since and expressed embarrassment about the project, noting that it was not originally supposed to be a sequel to it, but a separate project.
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The new one American Psycho The movie will also mark Guadagnino’s second time reinterpreting a horror classic for a modern audience. He memorably spent the better part of a decade developing a new take on Dario Argento SuspiriaWhich also shifts from a straightforward remake to an homage to the original, expanding to tackle the larger themes of motherhood and German history amidst its surreal witchcraft horror. Guadagnino’s approach was decidedly polarizingCurrently sitting at an approval rating of 67% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 72% from audiences.
with American Psycho Being described as a new interpretation and adaptation of Ellis’ novel, it is clear that Guadagnino’s movie will take a similar approach to Bale’s cult classic. Although it is generally faithful to its source material, Bale’s movie took a number of deviations from Ellis’ bookLeaving room for Guadagnino to restore some of what was missing from the 2000 adaptation, including Batman’s motivations for many of his killings, and some of the visceral nature of them.
Our take on Guadagnino’s American Psycho
A period setting can make it more effective
Although I couldn’t have been overly wowed by his take on SuspiriaI think Guadagnino will be a great fit at tackle American Psychos themes of consumerism, capitalism and pop culture obsession. That said, one of the big keys to making this work is finding a time period that fits the themes, especially since the 80s and 90s really made the yuppie takedown of Ellis’ novel all the more relevant.
Rather than going that far back, however, I think it would be more interesting to see American Psycho Set in the mid-2000s, just before the American financial crisis. This would not only allow Guadagnino to take a similar approach to historical subjects that he did SuspiriaBut could also establish an interesting foundation for Batman’s gradually unstable mental state and add an interesting extra layer to where Ellis’ novel ends.
Source: Lionsgate