Austin Butler reportedly lands the lead in Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho remake

Luca Guadagnino’s take on American Psycho is shaping up. Austin Butler has landed the role of Patrick Bateman, originally played by Christian Bale, Variety reports. The trade reports that Jacob Elordi had previously been rumored to take the role; apparently, someone got their Elvises crossed. 

Not too much else is known about the film, which was first announced in October as “a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.” While there was some understandable skepticism about remaking Mary Harron’s 2000 film, which has only grown in esteem and popularity since its release, Guadagnino has regularly taken on adaptations that few would dare to try. His 2018 interpretation of Suspiria, based on Dario Argento’s 1977 classic of the same name, comes to mind, as does his latest film Queer, based on the William Boroughs novella that many considered to be unadaptable. He has also just been cranking films out at a relentless pace, releasing Challengers earlier this year and is currently working on After The Hunt, which will star Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chloë Sevigny. 

Butler, meanwhile, has also proven himself a game shapeshifter, earning an Oscar nomination (and winning a Golden Globe and BAFTA) in 2023 for his titular performance in Baz Lurhmann’s Elvis. He went on to appear as Feyd-Rautha in Denis Villeneuve's Dune movies.