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Rumor debunked: Patrick Bateman stays male
A wave of headlines over the weekend claimed that Luca Guadagnino’s highly anticipated reboot of American Psycho would recast the central figure, Patrick Bateman, as a woman — with Margot Robbie allegedly in talks to take the role originally made famous by Christian Bale. According to Deadline and other industry sources close to the project, that claim is incorrect. Insiders say the new film will not change the protagonist’s gender, and the viral report was “completely false.”
What we know about the reboot
Guadagnino’s take on Brett Easton Ellis’s controversial novel has been one of the most talked-about Hollywood developments since Lionsgate first announced the reboot. Scott Z. Burns is adapting the screenplay from Ellis’s 1991 book, and Frenesy Films is producing alongside Lionsgate. Sam Pressman — son of Edward R. Pressman, who produced the 2000 adaptation — is attached as an executive producer, a neat throughline to the film’s cinematic past.
Casting remains in flux. Over the last year names such as Austin Butler and Jacob Elordi have circulated online, and Chloe Sevigny — who played Jean in the 2000 film — revealed last summer she pitched returning to the role, but Guadagnino wasn’t keen on the idea. For now, conversations are said to be in pre-production, and nothing is locked.
Context: why the rumor spread
Reboot culture and social-media speculation are a volatile mix. The idea of gender-swapping iconic roles has trended in Hollywood — sometimes to great creative effect, sometimes as a marketing talking point — which makes sensational casting rumors easy clickbait. That cultural moment helps explain why the Margot Robbie rumor gained traction quickly: audiences are hungry for bold reinventions, and studios are often exploring diverse casting approaches.
Comparisons and creative stakes
Guadagnino’s previous remake of Suspiria showed he’s willing to reinterpret source material in ways that divide critics and viewers. The original Mary Harron–directed American Psycho (2000) kept Ellis’s satirical bite and turned it into a sleek, darkly comedic thriller anchored by Bale’s career-making performance. Any new version will likely be compared to both Harron’s film and the polarizing novel — particularly on tone, violence, and commentary about privilege and identity.
Trivia and behind-the-scenes note: Scott Z. Burns is known for high-concept, idea-driven scripts, and Sam Pressman’s involvement signals respect for the property’s production lineage. Fan communities have been active, running casting threads and imagining tonal directions, which only fuels the rumor mill further.
Industry insiders urge patience: official casting and production updates typically come from the studio or the director. For now, the most reliable take is simple — Patrick Bateman’s gender is not being changed in this reboot, despite the headlines.
In short: intriguing rumors, but the confirmed plan keeps the protagonist male. Expect more news as pre-production progresses and Guadagnino clarifies his creative vision.
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