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Italian director Luca Guadagnino is reportedly in discussions with Lionsgate to direct a new American Psycho movie. An earlier version of the film had debuted in 2000, directed by Mary Harron and starring Christian Bale in the role of Patrick Bateman, a Manhattan investment banker turned serial killer.

Guadagnino’s version, however, would be an entirely new adaptation of the violence-ridden 1981 novel by Bret Easton Ellis. The script for the new production will be written by Scott Z. Burns, who authored the screenplays for The Bourne Ultimatum, The Informant, and Contagion. Burns also created Extrapolations, a limited series for Apple TV+, as well as Thumblite, an upcoming series for Netflix.

As for American Psycho, no further details about casting or scheduling is currently available. Adam Fogelson, who chairs the Lionsgate Motion Picture group, issued a statement that lauded Guadagnino’s artistry, stating that “We are thrilled to add another elite filmmaker to our upcoming slate. Luca is a brilliant artist, and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.”

Speculation is rife, though, about who might be selected to play the leading role of Patrick Bateman. Among the names who have emerged in the rumor mills are Coleman Domingo, Jacob Elordi, Barry Keoghan, Andrew Scott, and Alexander Skarsgård.

American Psycho would be yet another accomplishment for the prolific Italian director, whose latest film, Queer, based on the novel by William S. Burroughs, is slated for release in November. In 2022, he made Bones and All, a romantic horror film that starred Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet. Earlier this year, his sports romcom called Challengers debuted, starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist.

The graphic violence in Mary Harron’s 2000 film caused it to be censored in a few countries. It remains to be seen whether Guadagnino’s version will depict a cat being fed to an ATM–or eaten by migrants.

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