Luca Guadagnino Isn't Committing to American Psycho Yet

Maybe one day. It lands like a shrug from a director whose calendar has been full enough to make other filmmakers wince.

Talk of Luca Guadagnino directing a new American Psycho has been bubbling for months. Scott Z. Burns delivered a screenplay, Lionsgate flagged the project as moving forward, and casting rumors — including chatter that Drew Starkey praised Burns' script — made headlines. Still, a recent Vulture profile focused on Guadagnino's Artificial, his drama tied to OpenAI, makes clear that many of his attachments remain in development limbo. When Vulture asked about American Psycho, Guadagnino offered that noncommittal line: maybe one day I'll make it.

That answer is not the same as a start date. Casting has been one of the thorniest issues. An August report suggested the lead role of Patrick Bateman still lacks a firm home, and several well-known actors reportedly declined offers. Guadagnino and Burns have gone back to the script multiple times, refining tone and structure. Insiders say the current draft delays Bateman's full descent into psychopathy until very late, a choice that changes how the story lands and may be part of what makes casting so fraught.

Casting snags. Script rewrites. Production wobble. And then Sgt. Rock, a separate DC universe project Guadagnino was prepping, hit a different kind of roadblock. The director hinted that the film was nearly camera-ready last summer — roughly a month from shooting — before James Gunn paused the whole operation. When pressed about Sgt. Rock's fate, Guadagnino suggested asking the studio and the folks handling the property directly, a short reply that said more than a press release ever could.

Guadagnino has been nothing if not prolific. Since 2021 he has routinely filmed through the summer season, moving from Bones and All to Challengers, then Queer, After the Hunt, and most recently Artificial. Five summers in a row. That streak stopped this year. Despite his name being linked to nearly a dozen projects, Guadagnino did not shoot a film in the current season.

For now, American Psycho is a possibility, not a promise.

So what should fans expect? Patience. Projects can flicker between hype and reality for months or years, especially when an auteur and a studio try to align vision, casting, and tone on a property as charged as American Psycho. Guadagnino's answer keeps the door open without committing to a date; it also reminds us that high-profile developments are often more marathon than sprint.

Keep an eye on Vulture-style profiles and studio announcements. In the meantime, the question remains: when will maybe become yes?