Austin Butler, known for his role in 'Dune: Part Two,' is set to take on Patrick Bateman, the character famously portrayed by Christian Bale, according to Variety. This upcoming film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is not a remake of the 2000 movie but a fresh adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ controversial 1991 novel.
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The new adaptation will be released through Lionsgate. Bale’s version, set in New York City in 1987, depicted Bateman as a polished Wall Street professional by day and a deranged serial killer by night.
Reflecting on his portrayal, Bale shared a humorous story with PEOPLE in 2019. While discussing favorite family films with his 'Ford v Ferrari' costar Matt Damon, Bale recounted how his wife’s grandmother reacted to his role in 'American Psycho.'
"When I first got married [to wife Sibi Bale], her grandma said, "So he’s an actor?" "Yeah," she says. "Has he done anything?" "Yeah, he did a film, it’s called American Psycho," he recalled. "So Sibi’s mom took her a copy of 'American Psycho'."
Bale added with a laugh, "Sibi’s mom hadn’t realized quite how many inappropriate moments there might be. They sped past those parts, but then realized almost the entire film is inappropriate. They got through it in 15 minutes."
To mark the 20th anniversary of 'American Psycho' in 2020, director Mary Harron, along with Ellis, Bale, and others from the film, shared an oral history with MovieMaker. During the discussion, Harron revealed that Bale’s iconic role nearly went to another star.
"Obviously, I think [Leonardo] DiCaprio’s a great actor, but I thought he was wrong for it," Harron said. "I thought Christian was better for it, and I also thought, and I think my instinct was right on this, [DiCaprio] carried enormous baggage because he had just come off 'Titanic'. You cannot take someone who has a worldwide fanbase of 15-year-old girls and cast him as Patrick Bateman," she explained.
Butler’s take on the character and Guadagnino’s direction promise to offer a fresh perspective on the darkly satirical and controversial story.
