Let’s get one thing straight: there’s absolutely no need for another incarnation of American Psycho. Whether it’s a new take on Bret Easton Ellis’ satirical (and bleak) novel, or a remake of director Mary Herron’s brilliant 2000 adaptation, the story of Patrick Bateman has already been told perfectly. But we live in an era of unnecessary remakes, and with the list of viable intellectual property shrinking by the day, it’s evidently time to take the story for another spin.
It’s not ideal, but there are upsides to the new American Psycho adaptation. Luca Guadagnino, the director of arthouse hits like Call Me By Your Name and Challengers, is set to direct, with Scott Z. Burns (Extrapolations) writing the script. Guadagnino’s no slouch when it comes to horror, either; his Suspiria remake was suitably chilling, as was his cannibal romance Bones and All. It will be interesting to see what he makes of a character like Patrick Bateman, and what he chooses to extrapolate from Ellis’ novel.
