Bret Easton Ellis says several “high-profile” actors have passed on playing Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino’s planned new film adaptation of American Psycho, a sign that one of modern cinema’s most iconic performances still casts a long shadow over any new take. Ellis, speaking on his podcast, said potential leads have balked at stepping into a role closely associated with Christian Bale’s turn in the 2000 film.
The project remains in development at Lionsgate with Scott Z. Burns attached to write the screenplay, and the studio has positioned the film as a fresh adaptation of Ellis’ 1991 novel rather than a scene-for-scene redo of the earlier movie. Producer Sam Pressman is involved through Pressman Film, continuing the family connection to the 2000 release produced by his late father, Edward R. Pressman.
Casting has fueled the loudest speculation. Rumors have circulated around names such as Austin Butler and Jacob Elordi, while Patrick Schwarzenegger publicly expressed interest in the part. None of those possibilities has been confirmed by the filmmakers or the studio.
Industry voices have also questioned what a new Bateman should look like. Kerry Barden, the casting director for the 2000 film, argued in an interview last year that Butler would fit Bateman’s rival Paul Allen better than Bateman himself, calling the actor “too beautiful” for the lead. The comment captured a familiar tension: fans want something different, yet they also want the character to land with the same unsettling bite.
Ellis has sent mixed signals about the new adaptation’s momentum. In early 2025 he dismissed reports about the film as “fake news” and said he had no creative involvement, even while acknowledging he could profit if it moves forward. That skepticism now sits alongside his newer claim that casting has proven harder than expected.
