Austin Butler will know it’s hip to be square as he suits up to play the iconic serial killer Patrick Bateman.
Variety reports that the actor has been eyed to play the titular role in American Psycho, an upcoming adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s book. Luca Guadagnino will helm the project, announced earlier this year.
The script is by Scott Z. Burns (The Laundromat). It has been noted that this film will not be a remake of the 2000 film but a new adaptation of Ellis’ novel.
Per Variety, Guadagnino just wrapped up the production of After the Hunt, which starred Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield. The filmmaker had quite a busy 2024 with two films: Queer and Challengers; both had an impressive outing at this year’s Golden Globes nominations.
Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) was up for the role, but the outlet notes it fell into Butler’s lap. This is not the only time that Butler and Elordi have been in the mix for a role, as both recently played different versions of Elvis in movies. There’s no word on what happened with Elordi’s audition and how Butler edged him out for this coveted role.
Butler is best known for his role in 2022’s Elvis, for which he won the Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He also played the infamous killer Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino’s film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and starred in this year’s blockbuster Dune: Part Two.
Stay tuned to Flickering Myth for more updates on American Psycho.