When a remake is in development, I like hearing about big, creative swings. There’s no point to a filmmaker simply making a copy of a movie that already exists, so when there are reports of a specific vision being implemented and significant changes being made, the making of the new film sounds far more exciting. But not every report of a big swing being taken is true – and if you’ve been getting your hopes up in the last few days regarding rumors that the upcoming adaptation of American Psycho would feature a gender-swapped Patrick Bateman played by Margot Robbie, I have some bad news to share.
Following up on reports from this past weekend, Deadline has published word from sources saying not only that the Margot Robbie casting isn’t accurate, but also that there are no plans to gender swap the story’s protagonist. Not much is known about the project, which was first announced as being in development a year ago, and it may very well end up making some big changes from the source material, but it will evidently continue to have a male lead.
It’s a move that is probably for the best, if not just because it means that there won’t be months/years of people comparing the remake to American Psycho II: All American Girl – the 2002 direct-to-video sequel starring Mila Kunis and William Shatner.
Luca Guadagnino, best known for films including Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria, Challengers, and Bones And All, is attached to direct, but a star has not yet been announced. There were reports a few months ago that Austin Butler would potentially be playing the new Patrick Bateman (following up Christian Bale’s turn in the 2000 adaptation), but that rumor was also eventually shut down as well, and the hunt is still on.
Based on the satirical and hyper-hyper violent novel of the same name by author Bret Easton Ellis, the American Psycho remake is being penned by Scott Z. Burns, who is best known for his collaborations with director Steven Soderbergh (The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects and The Laundromat). In addition to the question about who will play the lead, there are a number of other mysteries surrounding the project as well. For example, will it still be set in the 1980s, or will it be getting an updated setting that reflects yuppy/capitalist culture in the 21st century? And will the violence be a closer reflection of the extreme content in the book, or will Guadagnino take a page out of director Mary Harron’s book and work to make the horror more pallatable?
While we don’t know a whole lot about the new American Psycho movie, curiosity is definitely high, and that means you can expect to hear plenty more about it here on CinemaBlend. Be on the look out for more news and updates, and if you’re in the need for a fix right now, the 2000 film is now available to stream with either a Peacock subscription or a Paramount+ subscription.