A new adaptation of American Psycho is reportedly in the works by Lionsgate. Insiders told Deadline that the studio has hired Scott Z. Burns to write a new screenplay for the story, with director Luca Guadagnino in final negotations to join the project. It would draw on the original 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, distinguishing itself from the 2002 film adaptation starring Christian Bale.
Guadagnino is currently a critical darling for his adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ Queer, so another classic novel adaptation is a natural step for him. Ellis’ American Psycho is written from a first-person perspective, with minute detail mirroring the obsessive mindset of its main character, serial killer and investment banker Patrick Bateman. Much of that carried over in the lauded 2002 film adaptation by director Mary Harron, but insiders say the studio wants a fresh take on the book – not a remake of the previous movie.
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The sources said that Lionsgate has been looking for a way to capitalize on this property for a while, and they believe Burns and Guadagnino are the ones to crack it. They said that Guadagnino has had several meetings with studio executives about this project. The studio’s chair, Adam Fogelson, seemed to confirm the story in a comment to Deadline.
“We are thrilled to add another elite filmmaker to our upcoming slate,” he said. “Luca is a brilliant artist, and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.”
This new adaptation would still have one strong connection to the previous adaptation – executive producer Sam Pressman. Pressman is the son of Edward R. Pressman, who produced Harron’s movie over two decades ago.
Guadagnino’s last movie with a wide release was Challengers, which was a critical darling and a commercial success, defying studios’ focus on franchises and IP. Queer is currently on the festival circuit, but will get a wider release on Nov. 27 through A24. The movie stars Daniel Craig as Lee, an American expat living in Mexico City in the 1940s. He becomes infatuated with a younger man, Allerton, played by Drew Starkey. Lee is fleeing a drug bust in New Orleans, while Allerton is a discharged Navy serviceman with a drug dependency.
Guadagnino has another film in post-production called After the Hunt starring Julia Roberts. Burns is best known as the creator of the limited series Extrapolations, which aired on Apple TV+. There’s no telling if or when plans for American Psycho might be finalized, or when we might get to see it for ourselves. In the meantime, the 2002 adaptation is streaming now on Netflix in the U.S.
