A quarter century ago, director Mary Harron‘s American Psycho took a stab at satirizing yuppie culture.
It stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, an investment banker in 1980s NYC who secretly lives out his murderous fantasies, and is adapted from Bret Easton Ellis‘ controversial novel, which had been dropped by its initial publisher in 1990 before becoming a best-seller upon hitting shelves a year later. It soon attracted attention as a potential film, with director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) eyeing it for Johnny Depp to star.
Once Lionsgate landed the project, David Cronenberg was among the directors attached before Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) took the gig. Harron wasn’t familiar with the book but, despite finding its violence sometimes disturbing, felt it was time to examine ’80s consumerism. “From the start, Mary had a very clear vision of the tone,” producer Alessandro Camon tells The Hollywood Reporter. “She always saw it as a dark comedy and a period movie.”
To revamp the script, Harron enlisted screenwriter Guinevere Turner, who was working with her on The Notorious Bettie Page. As for playing Bateman, Billy Crudup came aboard before deciding he wasn’t right. Bale, a former child actor coming off a string of indies, impressed Harron in his audition.
However, Lionsgate surprised her by announcing at Cannes in 1998 that Leonardo DiCaprio, hot off the success of Titanic, would play the lead. Harron disagreed with the choice and was let go, with Oliver Stone taking over. Ultimately, DiCaprio left to make The Beach, and Harron and Bale returned. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Chloë Sevigny and Reese Witherspoon rounded out the cast. Lionsgate released the movie April 14, 2000, and it collected a modest $34 million ($63 million today).
American Psycho has become a cult favorite thanks in part to younger audiences discovering it through social media memes.
Castmember Bill Sage, who played one of Bateman’s colleagues and was part of Stone’s initial table read, says of the film: “It would not be the classic that it is had it not been in Mary’s hands.” And now the classic will be revisited by Luca Guadagnino, who recently teased his new take for Lionsgate at CinemaCon.
This story appeared in the April 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
