Brace yourselves, readers: this is news no one expected on a Friday October afternoon. Deadline reports that Luca Guadagnino has yet another upcoming project he’ll direct. Ad on paper, it’s a doozy: Guada will helm a new adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis‘ 1991 novel “American Psycho” for Lionsgate. What’s more: Scott Z. Burns will adapt Ellis’ book for the big screen; a strange choice, but maybe everyone involved here only looks weird on paper.
READ MORE: ‘Queer’: Luca Guadagnino’s Burroughs Adaptation Is Fascinating But Unsettled [Venice]
Still, Guadagnino adapting Ellis, with Steven Soderbergh regular Burns penning the script? It’s a wild proposition for Lionsgate and Frenesy to make this, but apparently that’s what’s happening. Also of note Sam Pressman, son of Edward R. Pressman, who produced Mary Harron‘s 2002 take, will serve as executive producer on the project through Pressman Film. Lionsgate backed the 2002 film starring Christian Bale, which had a tepid response upon release but rapidly gained cult status afterward. Apparently, recent meetings between studio execs and Guadagnino made Lionsgate realize he’d be the perfect director for a fresh version, and one that more closely resembles Ellis’ original work. And now we’re here, all slightly befuddled by the news.
For those unfamiliar with “American Psycho,” the 1991 novel follows Patrick Bateman, a Manhattan investment banker and generally vapid yuppie who moonlights as a serial killer. Ellis’ book sparked major controversy upon release due its graphic violence rendered in excruciatingly exact detail. Some scenes are so visceral and intense that the book got banned or censored in several countries. But the novel is also whip-smart and very funny, with Bateman’s violent proclivities frequently interrupted by his asides about pop culture, music, and the gaping emptiness of his soul. Is it Ellis’ best work of his career? It’s certainly in the running.
And it’s not as if Guadagnino is a stranger to adapting books and films. His latest, “Queer,” adapts William S. Burroughs‘ early novel of the same name; it hits theaters on November 27 courtesy of A24. And 2019’s “Bones And All” is another literary adaptation based on Camille Deangelis‘ 2015 YA novel of the same name. Then there’s 2017’s “Call Me By Your Name,” arguably Guadagnino’s most popular film, which adapts Andre Aciman‘s 2007 novel. And while not book adaptations, 2015’s “A Bigger Splash” and 2018’s “Suspiria” are strikingly different takes by Guada of two beloved films. So if anyone could adapt “American Psycho” in a way distinctly different Harron’s 2002 film, it’s Luca Guadagnino.
Still, it’s a out-of-nowhere choice for the Italian auteur, but Lionsgate couldn’t be happier about the project. “We are thrilled to add another elite filmmaker to our upcoming slate,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson in a press statement. “Luca is a brilliant artist, and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.”
Meanwhile, Burns’ recent work includes the Apple TV+ limited series “Extrapolations” and “The Report.” The screenwriter’s work with Soderbergh includes 2009’s “The Informant,” 2013’s “Side Effects,” and 2023’s “The Laundromat.” Other recent films for Burns include 2019’s “The Report” starring Adam Driver.
Stay tuned for more news on Guadagnino’s “American Psycho” adaptation soon. Up next for the “Challengers” director? “After The Hunt” with Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edibiri. That film is in post-production now, so expect it to get a 2025 world premiere at a major festival.