Austin Butler Grabs The Spotlight As 'American Psycho' Villain Patrick Bateman

American actor Austin Butler, known for portraying Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic Elvis, is set to star in Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of the cult classic American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

Now, Variety reports that Austin Butler has been cast as the Wall Street yuppie Patrick Bateman, who leads a double life as a serial killer. It’s also reported that the film will not be a remake of the 2000 movie with Christian Bale, but rather a new adaptation of the novel, featuring a script by Scott Z. Burns.

In October, rumors began to circulate that Jacob Elordi was a potential candidate for the role of Patrick Bateman in Guadagnino’s new adaptation of American Psycho. Speculation intensified when Elordi was spotted having lunch with the director.

While Elordi would have been an interesting and seemingly obvious choice, Butler is a great choice as well. After all, both actors have played Elvis Presley on screen—Elordi in Priscilla and Butler in Elvis—and both have been romantically linked to model Kaia Gerber. Elordi was involved with her previously, and Butler has been dating her since 2021.

Currently, Butler is busy filming Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller Caught Stealing with Zoë Kravitz and Regina King. He will also appear in the Western black comedy Eddington alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal. Earlier this year, he starred as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two.

Director Luca Guadagnino had two films released this year, both of which recently garnered Golden Globe nominations. The sports drama Challengers received four nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Queer earned Daniel Craig a nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. His next movie After the Hunt with Julia Roberts and Ayo Edebiri is aiming for a 2025 release.