UPDATE: 2024/12/13 16:43 EST BY SARAH MORAN

Our story originally stated Butler had already been cast, but no such casting has been finalized. We've updated the article to reflect this.

Austin Butler is being sought for the role of Patrick Bateman in the Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a Wall Street yuppie who leads a double life as a serial killer during the 1980s. In October 2024, it was announced that Luca Guadagnino would direct a new interpretation of the novel American Psycho with Scott Z. Burns writing the script.

Now, a few months later, the new adaptation has found the actor they'd most like to see replace Christian Bale. According to Variety, Austin Butler is the top pick to star as Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho. The potential casting is not yet official, but an offer is expected to be imminent. If Butler accepts, it'll put an end to months of rumors and speculation regarding who would play the highly coveted role of Patrick Bateman after Christian Bale.

What Austin Butler Playing Patrick Bateman Would Mean For The American Psycho Remake

Luca Guadagnino Is Offering A Different Interpretation

Although there were rumors that Jacob Elordi was considered for the role of Patrick Bateman, the casting ultimately didn't materialize. Interestingly, both Elordi and Austin Butler share a connection since they both portrayed distinct interpretations of Elvis Presley in film, the former in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla and the latter in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis. While Priscilla received positive reviews and made $33 million worldwide, Elvis made over $288 million at the box office and earned Butler an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Ever since his Oscar nomination, Austin Butler has enjoyed a meteoric rise with roles in Dune: Part Two, The Bikeriders, and Masters of the Air. American Psycho may end up being another high profile project added to Butler's growing list, which also includes Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing, Ari Aster's Eddington, and American Speed alongside Tom Holland. Under the direction of Guadagnino, renowned for Call Me By Your Name, his new interpretation of American Psycho may lean more heavily into erotic themes. The director has also explored the horror genre before with his Suspiria remake and Bones and All, so the novel's horror elements should remain.

If Butler does indeed star, Guadagnino's American Psycho should offer a significantly different interpretation of Patrick Bateman. Also, with Guadagnino's two recent films earning Golden Globe nominations for acting (Zendaya for Challengers and Daniel Craig for Queer), Butler would remain firmly in any awards season conversation for his portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.

Our Take On Austin Butler Potentially Playing Patrick Bateman In American Psycho

The Oscar-Nominated Actor Is An Inspired Choice

The Oscar-nominated actor is an inspired choice to play Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho and to take up the mantle after Christian Bale. Butler has displayed his magnetic charm with roles like Elvis, but also his chilling menace as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two. These are qualities that are both central to the character of Patrick Bateman, who operates at the intersection of surface-level charisma and deep psychopathy in American Psycho.

Source: Variety