Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino is set to bring a fresh perspective to Bret Easton Ellis’s novel American Psycho on the big screen.
Deadline reports that Guadagnino, known for his work on Call Me by Your Name and Challengers, will collaborate with screenwriter Scott Z Burns to provide a modern take on the material. Burns, recognized for his work with Steven Soderbergh on films like Contagion, Side Effects, and The Informant, will work alongside Guadagnino on this project.
Lionsgate chair Adam Fogelson expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating, “Luca is a brilliant artist, and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP.”
American Psycho, originally published in 1991, gained notoriety for its violent portrayal of an image-obsessed investment banker who is also a serial killer. The novel was adapted into a film in 2000 starring Christian Bale, and later into a stage musical featuring Matt Smith.
In addition to the film adaptation, there were plans for a TV series based on the novel by Lionsgate in 2021.
Guadagnino, who received an Oscar nomination for producing Call Me by Your Name, is currently showcasing his film Queer, an adaptation of William S Burroughs’ work, at film festivals. Challengers, a love-triangle drama, marked his most successful box office release to date, grossing $93.9 million worldwide earlier this year.
The prolific director recently wrapped up filming on the thriller After the Hunt, featuring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield, set in a college setting. He is also slated to direct an adaptation of Pier Vittorio Tondelli’s Separate Rooms, starring Josh O’Connor and Léa Seydoux.
Last year, Guadagnino was reportedly involved in a miniseries adaptation of Ellis’s novel The Shards for HBO, although he later exited the project.