Drew Starkey Teases Role in Luca Guadagnino’s ‘American Psycho,’ Which Reportedly Has No Killings Until the Climax

There’s been a lot of smoke around Luca Guadagnino’s “American Psycho,” but not much actual fire. Drew Starkey has now added a little more to it.

In a new GQ interview, Starkey is asked about the rumor that he may be reteaming with Guadagnino on the director’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel. “No comment,” Starkey says, before adding, “The script is amazing, though.”

Oh, so you’ve read the script?

“Fuck!” Starkey says, laughing, before qualifying that he has indeed read it because Guadagnino is his friend and he thinks he’s “read all of his scripts.”

Sure. But that’s hardly a denial.

Starkey was one of the names floated for the film back when Variety published its speculative list of potential Batemans, and he already has a relationship with Guadagnino after “Queer.” So if he has read the “American Psycho” screenplay, it’s not unreasonable to wonder whether he’s actually been cast in the film. For now, though, “no comment” is all we’re getting.

The more interesting part may be his description of Scott Z. Burns’ screenplay as “amazing.” This is a script that has apparently been rewritten and reworked as Guadagnino has struggled to get an A-list actor to commit to Patrick Bateman. Bret Easton Ellis recently said on his podcast that several high-profile actors had passed on the role and that the project subsequently got a completely new Burns draft.

I should mention that there’s something particularly strange about the reported shape of that current script. As I understand it, there is no killing until the final fifteen pages. Think about that for a second. How do you make “American Psycho” and hold the violence until the last ten minutes? Guadagnino apparently thinks it’s the right way to do it.

Regardless, this whole project sound increasingly less like a remake of the Christian Bale movie—which is not a bad thing. Lionsgate has stressed that this is a new adaptation of Ellis’ novel, rather than a remake of Harron’s film. Burns was hired to adapt the book from scratch. Guadagnino has admitted to not having seen the 2000 movie. It all sounds quite risky, and perhaps that’s the point.

It does make sense why, according to a recent The InSneider report, Lionsgate has been looking to potentially replace Guadagnino if the project continues to stall in development.