'Call Me By Your Name' Director Luca Guadagnino Set to Remake 'American Psycho'

Not long after we reported that out filmmaker Luca Guadagnino was keeping very busy with a slate of upcoming projects, Deadline revealed that the "Call Me By Your Name" director is adding one more movie to his agenda: remaking the 2000 controversial film "American Psycho."

Guadagnino is currently on the festival circuit with his upcoming film "Queer," starring Daniel Craig based on the William S. Burroughs story, but he's already setting his sights on the Bret Easton Ellis novel for Lionsgate with a script from Scott Z. Burns.

Deadline writes: "While the first film starring Christian Bale and directed by Mary Harron has gained a following over the years, sources say that rather than a remake, Guadagnino's film will be a new adaptation of Ellis' novel. The property is something the studio has been trying to crack for some time, and following recent meetings with Guadagnino execs felt he was the perfect choice to bring a fresh take."

"We are thrilled to add another elite filmmaker to our upcoming slate," Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson told Deadline. "Luca is a brilliant artist, and the perfect visionary to create a whole new interpretation of this potent and classic IP."

The original "American Psycho" was directed by Mary Harron and stars Christian Bale, who plays Patrick Bateman -- a young and sexy Manhattan investment banker who becomes a serial killer. The films graphic violence and controversial subject matter has left the film banned in several countries, Deadline notes. Sources told the outlet that Guadagnino's version will be a new adaptation of the novel.

This isn't the first time Guadagnino has remade a cult classic. Back in 2018, he made his version of the 1977 giallo "Suspiria." Earlier this year, his tennis film "Challengers" became a box office hit.