“I always knew someone was going to try and adapt it,” said Ellis. “It’s the nature of the game – the controversy and the title obviously meant something to the people with the money to make it.”
Producer Edward Pressman optioned it, having been behind the ‘80s stockbroker classic Wall Street. His first step was finding a director.
The source material defeated plenty. Stuart Gordon tried to turn it into an X-rated splatter pic (Ellis: “The producers got nervous”); David Cronenberg toyed with making it.
Ellis even wrote a screenplay himself, which ended with Bateman and the whole of New York dancing to a Barry Manilow song (“It was like a Coke commercial,” says the writer. “A lame idea in retrospect, but I was bored”).
In the end, though, it wasn’t a man but a woman, Canadian director Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol), who wrestled Bateman on to the screen.
Comments
BenCh
Jul 22nd 2009, 14:04
"Christ. I'll call you..."
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parker
Jul 23rd 2009, 10:13
one of the greatest movies of all time! Don't just stare at it....eat it!
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PadmanForever
Jul 23rd 2009, 12:33
A nice little feature about one of my favourites. This is the should of thing you should try and get on here as much as possible! But don't wear that outfit again.
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panr235
Jul 23rd 2009, 18:45
Awesome article. This parody music video of American Psycho just came out. Pretty funny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G29d6RDSK1c
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MadLove4Bale
Jul 26th 2009, 6:44
One of Christian's finest performances bar none!!! So gorgeous,so sexy,so hot!!! He became my favorite actor in the world.I became a die hard Balehead,after seeing this movie,and never looked back.I can't figure out for the life of me,why he never got an Oscar nod for this movie,go figure.... One of my favorite quotes from the movie:"You're a f*ckin ugly B*tch!!! I wanna stab you to death,and play around with your blood" My husband said that to me on our wedding night....We'll be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary next June.Ahhhhhhhhh the memories. Word to the wise: Don't ever underestimate the power of "American Psycho"
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