American Psycho TV Series in Development

Author Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel American Psycho chronicled sociopath and murderer Patrick Bateman, with Lionsgate Television chairman Kevin Beggs confirming that a TV adaptation of the story is currently being developed. The novel was previously adapted into a film starring Christian Bale, with that adaptation being one of the actor’s biggest shifts from his more lighthearted projects like Newsies and Little Women, marking one of the first showcases of his immense range into much more macabre subject matter. It’s currently unknown if the TV series will be an adaptation of the source material or merely a reinvention of the concept.

“We’ve just wrapped up Dear White People which was a really good experience, Blindspotting is coming up, American Psycho is in development,” Beggs confirmed with Deadline. “We’re always exploring what we can do in television with something like the Saw franchise, so that’s a conversation.”

In American Psycho, Patrick Bateman is a Manhattan investment banker by day and serial killer by night, with his world of excess and indulgence allowing him to carry out horrible crimes without anyone drawing suspicions about his true nature. The story is equal parts satire and horror story, with Bateman taking just as much care in his daily skincare routine as in his disposal of bodies.

At the time of the film’s release, it was received well by critics, but the gruesome and disturbing subject matter failed to resonate with audiences. In the decades since its release, the film has earned a devout following, thanks in large part to Bale’s captivating performance and Mary Harron’s direction. A straight-to-video sequel was released in 2002 starring Mila Kunis, while FX had previously attempted to develop a sequel TV series, focusing on a middle-aged Bateman.

With the story itself specifically being set in the ’80s, Harron recently detailed how she finds the story almost more relevant now than ever.

“The whole Bateman attitude of Wall Street and the one percent – the injustice today seems much worse,” Harron shared last year with Little White Lies. “Whenever I film a TV show, somebody always comes up and tells me how much they loved American Psycho. I’m surprised by the intensity of people’s reaction to it. People tell me they’ve seen it 30 times – I haven’t even seen it 30 times! It seems to have touched a nerve, and it’s nice that people are still watching it.”

Stay tuned for details on the American Psycho TV series.

Are you looking forward to the series? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!