Patrick Schwarzenegger is publicly putting his hand up for one of Hollywood’s most infamous roles: Patrick Bateman.
After Lionsgate set a new film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho with Luca Guadagnino attached to direct and Scott Z. Burns writing the script, Schwarzenegger responded to a fan on social media, suggesting he take the lead. “I’d love nothing more,” he wrote.
He’d also previously reacted to news of Guadagnino’s involvement by calling it his “dream,” signaling he’s genuinely interested rather than casually joking along with casting chatter.
What Schwarzenegger is saying and why it’s catching on
Schwarzenegger’s pitch lands at a moment when his profile is rising fast, helped by high-visibility work like HBO’s The White Lotus.
And unlike many “fan-cast” moments, this one has some extra fuel: Entertainment Weekly notes he has already leaned into the Bateman image before, including a 2021 photoshoot that paid homage to the 2000 film’s look.
Where the new American Psycho movie stands
The project is being framed as a new interpretation of Ellis’ novel, with Guadagnino directing for Lionsgate and Burns adapting the screenplay.
Guadagnino has said he’s working hard on the film and that the screenplay is progressing, but he has not announced casting yet—only noting he’s in conversations with “exciting performers” for the lead roles.
For now, that means Schwarzenegger’s interest is just that: interest. There’s no official confirmation he’s attached, and the studio hasn’t named who will play Bateman.
