Maybe The American Psycho Remake Isn’t Such A Crazy Idea

News of any cult classic film undergoing the remake treatment is never really received well, and that’s been the case with Lionsgate’s upcoming American Psycho project. Contrary to popular opinion, this may not be as bad as it seems to a skeptic and needs some reconsideration from naysayers.

The original film from 2000 holds a special place in pop culture, especially with Christian Bale’s iconic portrayal of Patrick Bateman. Considering that both the character and the film have remained relevant to this day, the idea of Lionsgate remaking American Psycho might seem unwarranted to many. However, before it’s brushed off as a cash grab, it’s important to evaluate who’s behind it and why it might just work.

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Why American Psycho Isn’t Just A Horror Movie

American Psycho is a genre-bending film with elements of a horror, comedy, and psychological thriller movie.

Is American Psycho Getting Remade?

A Fresh Take On The Original Novel

Technically, the upcoming American Psycho film won’t be a remake, since the 2000 original movie was itself an adaptation of the 1991 novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. So, this new project would simply be a different take on the same source material—much like how there have been multiple Little Women films based on the singular novel or how comic book characters like Batman and Superman have had countless iterations.

Who Is Directing The New American Psycho?

The new American Psycho movie is set to be directed by Luca Guadagnino, who is fresh off the festival-run success of Queer. The 53-year-old Italian filmmaker is known for exploring new depths in each genre and taking a seemingly straightforward story to uncharted territory. For example, Zendaya’s Challengers was an excellent blend of a sports drama and a romantic love triangle. Similarly, Bones and All took a story about cannibals and turned it into a heartfelt road-trip film. So, his version of a psychological thriller like American Psycho would be far from ordinary, and it would be interesting to watch his ambition unfold with such familiar material.

What Is American Psycho About?

American Psycho follows the life of Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker by day and a serial killer by night. It’s a slasher film on the surface, but underneath, it’s a satire on capitalism and hustle culture. Despite it being 25 years since the original movie came out, it remains culturally relevant—mainly due to its strong, universal themes and Bale’s character becoming cemented as meme currency. Any update on this story would naturally generate demand for more information. Criticism or dissatisfaction from die-hard fans of the original is practically inevitable.

Why Another American Psycho Film Might Work

More Stories To Be Told From The Novel

There’s a lot of material to work with from Bret Easton Ellis’ novel that wasn’t explored in the first film. For example, there’s a separate storyline about Patrick Bateman’s college girlfriend, who happened to be the only character able to throw him off his game. In fact, the first movie was arguably toned down compared to the depth of the original book. The upcoming movie could take it up a notch and truly adapt the book’s story, making it a repulsive experience like no other.

Fixing The Patrick Bateman Problem

Furthermore, the new American Psycho movie has the potential to rectify the troubling discourse around its anti-hero, Patrick Bateman. The film was meant to be an attack on consumerism and toxic masculinity, but Bateman has become an unironic icon in the “sigma male” community. Guadagnino and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns could turn this around and revise the heroism surrounding this problematic character.

Who Plays Patrick Bateman In The Remake?

As of now, Austin Butler seems to be the studio’s top choice for the lead role, with other names like Jacob Elordi also being considered. These rumors haven’t sat well with fans, but since nothing is confirmed, there’s still room for better suited options, such as Glen Powell, Jake Gyllenhaal, or even Robert Pattinson, to take on the role.

The actor signing up as Patrick Bateman in this project would be facing the challenge of a lifetime. Living up to Christian Bale might seem impossible, especially since his is the only version of the character ever brought to the screen. Comparing it to his role as Batman might be a bit of a stretch, but it’s clear that later portrayals by Affleck or Pattinson have found their own audiences.

The Problem With Remaking American Psycho

None of this changes the fact that the upcoming American Psycho is one of Lionsgate’s biggest gambles so far. The reception on social media has been far from positive, and it’s going to be an uphill task for the studio to build genuine excitement and hype. The book’s author has distanced himself from the news and expressed doubts about the potential project. Speaking on his own podcast, The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, he pointed out that he has nothing to do with this, if it even exists.

From various sources that I have, this is just fake news that was put out there to see how an audience is going to react… If it does exist, I am not involved, I have nothing to do with this. I might get some money if they do this, but I am not involved creatively on any level, and that is all I know.

The film would also have to address concerns, such as choosing the right period it is set in. This is particularly important, as many of the original American Psycho‘s iconic, reference-worthy lines, like “I have to return some videotapes,” or picking Bateman’s favorite band would all need to align perfectly. Despite all these challenges and the huge risk of imminent failure, Lionsgate should still move forward with this American Psycho remake project – not as a profit venture, but for creative ambition.

American Psycho

Release Date

April 14, 2000

Director

Mary Harron

Cast

Jared Leto
, Reese Witherspoon
, Chloe Sevigny
, Willem Dafoe
, Justin Theroux
, Christian Bale

Runtime

101 minutes

Writers

Bret Easton Ellis
, Mary Harron
, Guinevere Turner

Budget

$7 million

Studio(s)

Lionsgate

Distributor(s)

Lionsgate

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