Austin Butler has been cast as Patrick Bateman in the American Psycho remake. Co-written and directed by Mary Harron, based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the cult classic film from 2000 stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street yuppie who leads a double life as a serial killer during the 1980s. In October 2024, it was announced that Luca Guadagnino would direct a new interpretation of the novel American Psycho with Scott Z. Burns writing the script.
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Now, a few months later, the new adaptation has found an actor to replace Christian Bale. According to Variety, Austin Butler is set to star as Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho. The casting puts an end to months of rumors and speculation regarding who would play the highly coveted role of Patrick Bateman after Christian Bale.
What Austin Butler Playing Patrick Bateman Means For The American Psycho Remake
Luca Guadagnino Is Offering A Different Interpretation
Although there were rumors that Jacob Elordi was considered for the role of Patrick Bateman, the casting ultimately didn't materialize. Interestingly, both Elordi and Austin Butler share a connection since they both portrayed distinct interpretations of Elvis Presley in film, the former in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla and the latter in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis. While Priscilla received positive reviews and made $33 million worldwide, Elvis made over $288 million at the box office and earned Butler an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
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Ever since his Oscar nomination, Austin Butler has enjoyed a meteoric rise with roles in Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders, and Masters of the Air. Now, American Psycho has been added to Butler's list of upcoming projects, including Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing, Ari Aster's Eddington, and American Speed alongside Tom Holland. Under the direction of Guadagnino, renowned for Call Me By Your Name, his new interpretation of American Psycho may lean more heavily into erotic themes. The director has also explored the horror genre before with his Suspiria remake and Bones and All, so the novel's horror elements should remain.
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With Butler set to star, Guadagnino's American Psycho should offer a significantly different interpretation of Patrick Bateman. Also, with Guadagnino's two recent films earning Golden Globe nominations for acting (Zendaya for Challengers and Daniel Craig for Queer), Butler should remain firmly in any awards season conversation for his portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
Our Take On Austin Butler Playing Patrick Bateman In American Psycho
The Oscar-Nominated Actor Is An Inspired Choice
The Oscar-nominated actor is an inspired choice to play Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho and to take up the mantle after Christian Bale. Butler has displayed his magnetic charm with roles like Elvis, but also his chilling menace as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two. These are qualities that are both central to the character of Patrick Bateman, who operates at the intersection of surface-level charisma and deep psychopathy in American Psycho.
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Source: Variety
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American Psycho
R
Crime
Documentary
Drama
Thriller
Based on the book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) an investment banker in New York in 1987 who leads a double life as a serial killer. As investigators circle Bateman after the disappearance of a colleague, he finds himself trapped in a spiral of murder and excess, unable to stop himself from giving in to his increasingly dark urges. Also stars Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon.
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*Availability in US
- Release Date
- April 14, 2000
- Runtime
- 101 minutes
- Cast
- Jared Leto , Reese Witherspoon , Chloe Sevigny , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Christian Bale
- Director
- Mary Harron
- Writers
- Bret Easton Ellis , Mary Harron , Guinevere Turner
- Budget
- $7 million
- Studio(s)
- Lionsgate
- Distributor(s)
- Lionsgate
