‘American Psycho’: Casting Patrick Bateman Is Driving Lionsgate Psycho

BREAKING: Author Bret Easton Ellis says on his podcast that “major stars” have already passed on playing Patrick Bateman in the upcoming American Psycho adaptation from Luca Guadagnino.

“A couple of high-profile actors, whom I can’t name, have turned it down,” said Ellis. “I think maybe because they don’t want to be in the shoes of Christian Bale.”

It’s been almost two years since Deadline broke the news of director Luca Guadagnino (Suspiria) and writer Scott Z. Burns’ adaptation of the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis.

Ellis noted that Scott Z. Burns has 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.

In 2000’s hilarious psycho-thriller 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.

Huey Lewis had no fear and stepped into the role of Patrick Bateman for the American Psycho-themed parody on Funny or Die with Weird Al.

Ice Nine Kills later paid tribute with their “Hip to Be Scared” music video, which recreates several of Bateman’s most iconic moments, including the business card scene and the raincoat and axe sequence, with a heavier dose of gore.

The actors to Lionsgate: “I simply am not there.”