The new American Psycho is looking for its Patrick Bateman. The actor who steps into that iconic role should be Drew Starkey, not Austin Butler.
A reimagining of American Psycho from Luca Guadagnino is still in development at Lionsgate. Scott Z. Burns, who wrote the screenplays for The Bourne Ultimatum and Contagion, will pen the script for American Psycho.
The latest update came this past May, when Lionsgate President of International Helen Lee-Kim said she hopes to have the script “later in the year.”
As for who might play Patrick Bateman, that remains a mystery. Butler was reportedly in line to play the lead, but nothing has ever come to fruition.
One rumored name that is gaining traction is Starkey, who previously starred in Guadagnino’s Queer. While speaking with GQ, Starkey was asked whether he will reteam with the director for American Psycho.
“No comment,” Starkey said. “The script is amazing, though.”
After being asked to clarify if he read the script, Starkey laughed and said, “I’ve read the script, but Luca’s my friend. I think I’ve read all of his scripts.”
Drew Starkey could follow Christian Bale’s path by playing Patrick Bateman before A-list stardom
Starkey is the exact type of actor Guadagnino should be looking to cast in his version of American Psycho. Patrick Bateman is a starry role that requires an actor to transform into a serial killer and self-obsessed psychopath. Are audiences going to want to see someone like Butler, who typically plays the hero, go on a murderous rampage? Butler is too famous right now to play a role like this because he can’t disappear into it. It would almost be distracting to watch him as Bateman.
Starkey, on the other hand, is still an emerging talent in Hollywood. He’s known in teen circles for his role as Rafe Cameron on Outer Banks. However, he’s still fairly new to mainstream audiences, with Queer, a period drama that only grossed $7 million worldwide, being his most notable movie role so far.
If you have watched Outer Banks, Starkey’s character is a rich and entitled maniac with a killer instinct. There is a darkness in Rafe that makes his enemies fear him. That character sounds a lot like Patrick Bateman.
Part of the reason why American Psycho became a cult classic is that it caught Christian Bale at the right time in his career. Bale had previously been a child star, but he was not a giant star when American Psycho came out in 2000. We now view him as an A-lister thanks to roles in The Dark Knight trilogy and The Fighter.
Starkey might never reach the heights of Bale. However, Starkey’s career in 2026 is similar to where Bale’s was in 2000. American Psycho could be the movie to launch Starkey’s career into stardom.
