Luca Guadagnino’s ‘American Psycho’ Still Lacks a Lead — Patrick Schwarzenegger “Very Much on The Radar”

Ever since Luca Guadagnino boarded the “American Psycho” remake last October, the guessing game over who might play Patrick Bateman has turned into something of an industry obsession. However, one name in particular is refusing to go away: Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Following his eye-catching turn in “The White Lotus” season three, Schwarzenegger even added fuel to the fire back in April when he responded to a fan’s pitch on X, saying: “I’d love nothing more.”

While early chatter briefly pointed toward Oscar nominee Austin Butler, subsequent reports claimed he was never in serious contention. Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger’s name continues to circulate. Producers are reportedly intrigued, and according to THR, Schwarzenegger is “definitely on their radar,” though there’s some hesitation given that he hasn’t yet led a major studio film.

Still, it’s worth noting that Christian Bale, who turned Bateman into an iconic cinematic figure in the 2000 version, was also largely untested in blockbuster territory at the time, best known for indies like “Velvet Goldmine.”

That might not be a concern for long. Schwarzenegger is set to star opposite Margaret Qualley in Amazon MGM’s “Love of Your Life,” a romantic drama that could expand his profile.

A previous report had Guadagnino’s “American Psycho,” which features a script by Scott Z. Burns, not being a remake of the 2000 film, but rather a new take on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, one that will have a larger emphasis on the novel’s erotica rather than the horror satire of the original.

For now, Guadagnino is tied up with other projects, including “Artificial,” a feature tackling Sam Altman and OpenAI for Amazon, which is set to shoot later this month.