Who Could Swing The Role of Patrick Bateman In Luca Guadagnino's 'American Psycho'?

Exciting news from Hollywood: Luca Guadagnino, the masterful storyteller, is set to direct a new film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho. After a 24 years, the cult classic is finally returning to the silver screen.

This Italian filmmaker has shown us that, from a script, he can bring to life a world new to many of us, and his movies have been well-received by the public. For example, his 2017 film Call Me by Your Name was a massive success, earning $43.1 million at the box office with a budget of $3.5 million. Guadagnino also directed the film Challengers this year, which was released in April and performed well at the box office. Guadagnino is keeping busy with multiple film productions in various stages of development: After the Hunt, a thriller starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield, is in post-production; and his film Queer, starring Daniel Craig, made a big splash at the Venice Film Festival and will be released in limited theatres on November 27.

And now comes his latest and ambitious project: a new version of the legendary film American Psycho. The plot revolves around Patrick Bateman, a New York Investment banker who keeps up the appearance for his associates and his wife; they go to popular restaurants by day. "While he plays the part of an executive, concerned with art, music, fine dining, and his relationships, he possesses no real attachment to any of them. Bateman has no emotional attachment to anyone or anything, but he obsesses over playing the part of someone who does. However, he fantasizes about horrific acts of violence, and whether he goes on to commit them is left ambiguously open-ended." (x) Despite his lavish social life and popularity, Bateman is trapped by his violent instincts and permanent loneliness.

The disorders suffered by Bateman can be various. On the surface, he looks like a simple psychopath, but he has many other disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, narcissism, and antisocial personality disorder.

It took 8 years for the movie to be made after producer Edward Pressman bought the film rights from Bret Easton Ellis's novel, and many different writers, directors, and actors worked on it. At one point, Leonardo DiCaprio was attached to play Bateman. The actor who eventually landed the role, Christian Bale, was told that Patrick Bateman would be career suicide. But that could not have been farther from the truth, as the movie went on to make the former child actor a star.

After hearing that Guadagnino will be directing a new American Psycho, the most important question is: who will be the best actor to play Patrick Bateman's complex personality? Here are some intriguing candidates we think could bring a fresh perspective to the role!

1. Cooper Koch

28-year-old Cooper Koch is on everyone's lips these days after his masterful performance in Ryan Murphy's "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story", and he has made it known that he wants to play Patrick Bateman, remarking that he is ready to take on even darker roles. Certainly, his brooding personality would be well suited for the role.

2. Austin Butler

Austin Butler is the actor who has everything to be Patrick Bateman: He is handsome but unsettling at the same time and allows you to imagine a dark life beyond the surface of a successful man. He is comfortable in difficult roles; his role as Elvis Presley showed his ability to be dual and enigmatic.

3. Bill Skarsgård

The Swedish horror king would be a great choice to play Patrick Bateman he is no stranger to dark and twisted rles, such as Count Orlok in the upcoming adaptation by Robert Eggers, Nosferatu, or his role as Erik Draven, the creepy protagonist in The Crow. With Pennywise, the horrible clown in It and It 2, he has terrified all of Hollywood. Skarsgård can certainly push Bateman's character to unexpected limits.

4. Timothée Chalamet

Without a doubt, Timothée Chalamet is a safe choice. Firstly, because Guadagnino has already worked with him -- Chalamet starred in Call Me by Your Name as well as Bones and All, where he already plays a very complex and disturbed character. In Dune, he injects his character Paul Atreides with unsettling magnetism. His sad eyes and his seemingly amorphous image can perfectly interpret the psychotic and dual personality of Bateman and make him very believable.

5. Jacob Elordi

Although the cast is still being decided,fans of Jacob Elordi feel he is the only capable actor to play Patrick Bateman. He has all the characteristics of a perfect Bateman: imposing physique, handsome, elegant, well-mannered, and a spark of something to allow you to imagine a turbulent inner life. In "Euphoria", he has shown for his ability to portray toxic and dangerous masculinity.

6. Robert Pattinson

All of the films Pattinson has appeared in (with the exception of Harry Potter... maybe) lead us to think that he is the ideal actor to star in American Psycho. From Batman to his iconic Edward Cullen, Pattinson clearly achieves creepy and enigmatic characters that create great unease in the viewer. He can act deranged, tormented, and violent, and in all cases, he remains attractive. He is an enigma, able to show great fragility and, at the same time, an absolute lack of mercy. Pattinson is pure Bateman

Whoever the chosen actor is, Guadagnino will surely seduce us with his ability to tell complex stories with great skill. His take on American Psycho is sure to be innovative and surprising!