The American Psycho reboot Is reportedly struggling to find its Patrick Bateman, reveals writer

Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming directorial American Psycho is facing an unusual hurdle. The film is a remake of 2000 film American Psycho, which had featured Christian Bale in the lead. Fans would recall that Bale’s performance is considered one of the best till date. Luca Guadagnino and writer Scott Z. Burn announced in 2024 that they would be adapting the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis. However, the film’s casting has not been finalised so far.

Ellis recently shared an update on the casting process for the upcoming feature and revealed that many actors have turned down the role.

"A couple of high-profile actors, whom I can't name, have turned it down. I think maybe because they don't want to be in the shoes of Christian Bale," Ellis said on a podcast as quoted by Deadline.

Ellis noted that Scott Z. Burns has since completed a new draft of the script after several actors passed on the previous version.

"From what I'm told, this movie is completely different from Mary Harron's 2000 movie. It's a completely different take, and going to bear no resemblance to that movie," he added.

The Lionsgate film will be produced by Frenesy Films, and executive produced by Sam Pressman, the son of Edward R Pressman, producer of the 2002 original movie, through his company Pressman Film.

In 2000's American Psycho, Bale starred as homicidal investment banker Patrick Bateman, the literary character that Ellis created as a satirical take on masculinity. The Harron-helmed adaptation also starred Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon, Jared Leto, Willem Dafoe and more.

With American Psycho in the works, Ellis' 2023 novel The Shards is getting the Ryan Murphy treatment with an FX series starring Kaia Gerber also in development.