Lionsgate are doing the unthinkable – they’ve hired Noble Jones to write a “reimagining” of American Psycho based on Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel. If you’re not familiar with Jones, that’s ok, neither were we. A click look at IMDB reveals he was the 2nd unit director on The Social Network. Not much previous form then.
Variety report that it’s a low-budget project which has yet to be greenlit at Lionsgate is in the early stages of development.
Jones pitched the project to Lionsgate several months ago and recently turned in a script that explores how Bateman would fare in modern-day Gotham.
That’s a horrible thought as Mary Harron’s 2000 version was about as good an adaptation of the book as it could possible be. It was also the breakthrough performance for Christian Bale who was so good in the role, it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else taking the lead.
If you haven’t seen it, it sees Patrick Bateman, a 27 year old yuppie who lives in 1980s New York. By day he works at a pretigious firm on Wall Street but by day he’s a mercilessly sadistic killer. It’s a hilarious black comedy which nevertheless skewers 1980s yuppie excess with biting satire. Incidentally, it’s also one of my favourite films. Here’s the first 15 minutes:
