Actor Austin Butler set to play the lead role in a new interpretation of Bret Easton Ellis' book American Psycho by Luca Guadagnino for Lionsgate, UNN reports citing Variety.
Details
Although there were rumors that Jacob Elordi was going to play Patrick Bateman, this casting did not take place. Elordi and Butler have something in common, they both played very different versions of Elvis in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla and Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, respectively.
The film, scripted by Scott Burns (The Laundromat), will not be a remake of the 2000 film, but a new adaptation of Ellis's novel.
In the original film, released in 2000 and set in the 1980s, Christian Bale plays Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street yuppie and serial killer. Under the lens of Guadagnino, best known for Call Me by Your Name, Challengers and most recently Queer, the new interpretation of the book may have a more erotic emphasis than the original horror satire. Guadagnino also dipped into the genre with Suspiria and Bones and All.
While Butler is expected to play the lead role in the film, Guadagnino might interpret Patrick Bateman's character quite differently from his previous incarnation, the publication points out.
Addendum
Guadagnino has just finished shooting After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield. His previous two films, Queer and The Rivals, were nominated for Golden Globes. Daniel Craig (Queer) was nominated for Best Actor and Zendaya is up for Best Actress for The Rivals, which also has nominations for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Score.