American Psycho starring Christian Bale and directed by Mary Harron is turning 25 years old next year, and despite its status as a cult favorite, a remake is in the works with director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Challengers).
There hasn’t been much revealed about the remake yet, but fans online have already been pitching who they want to play a new generation’s version of psychopath Patrick Bateman. Bale was 26 when he played the role, and here’s a look at some eligible young talents who may be able to pull off their own version of an American sociopath.
Charles Melton
Tall, dark, and handsome, Melton is best known for playing Reggie in Riverdale, but he’s proven that he can play seductive and troubled thanks to last year’s May December.
He hasn’t landed a role as complex as Patrick Bateman before, but he’s already proven that he does have the range, and with the right direction from Guandagnino, he could make for a very memorable version of the obsessive Bateman. Besides, his impressive physique is also perfect for Bateman who is obsessed with how he looks.
Alden Ehrenreich
Solo: A Star Wars Story should have propelled Alden Ehrenreich to the very top of stardom, but it didn’t, and he’s still kind of obscure when it comes to his career. That being said, he has proven that he’s quite the actor, having managed to work with the Cohen Brothers and Christopher Nolan; sharing scenes with Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer.
In 2023’s Fair Play, Ehrenreich actually got to play a Wall Street guy (just like Bateman), and he’s proven that he can very much switch from a likable nice guy to someone completely unhinged. It’s also worth noting that Ehrenreich can also be wacky when he needs to be, which is an understated trait that Bateman has.
Harris Dickinson
It’s unclear what Guandagnino is looking for in the American Psycho reboot, but if fans can agree on something, it’s that Patrick Bateman has to be conventionally handsome—which is what makes him so fascinating to watch.
Dickinson has played a model before in Triangle of Sadness, but he’s also proven that he does have the acting range that’s necessary in bringing Patrick Bateman to life. After being a manipulative intern for Nicole Kidman in Babygirl, maybe American Psycho could be Dickinson’s next big role.
Jeremy Allen White
Jeremy Allen White may have been in Shameless for ten years, but it was really his role as Carmy in The Bear that got everyone’s attention. Watching White going from obsessed artist to kitchen nightmare has been captivating for audiences, and maybe it would make for an interesting transition if he took that energy and brought it to American Psycho.
Just look at White’s face alone, he’s proven he can be pretty expressive, and matching that with the intensity of Bateman as a character could be a real ride for anyone in the audience.
Jacob Elordi
When a reboot of American Psycho was first announced, a lot of people thought that it was a project for which Elordi had essentially been primed. He’s been the psychotic boyfriend with HBO’s Euphoria, and he brought that same kind of threatening energy when he played Elvis in Priscilla.
Admittedly, Elordi as Patrick Bateman seems like the most obvious choice ever, but no doubt people will be interested to see how he makes the role his own. If anything, they can always write him an SNL sketch where he plays a parody of Bateman in the 2020s.