American Psycho 2000 | Film Cast Then & Now | How They Changed |

American Psycho is a 2000 black comedy horror film directed by Mary Harron, who wrote the script with Guinevere Turner. It stars Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon. Based on Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 novel American Psycho, the film follows Patrick Bateman (Bale), a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. The satirical film blends horror and black comedy to mock 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman.
American Psycho 2000 | Film Cast Then & Now | How They Changed |
Ellis considered his controversial novel potentially unfilmable, but producer Edward R. Pressman was determined to adapt it and bought the film rights in 1992. Stuart Gordon, David Cronenberg, and Rob Weiss considered directing the film before Harron and Turner began writing the screenplay in 1996. They sought to make a 1980s period film that emphasized the novel's satire. The pre-production period was tumultuous; Harron chose Bale to play Bateman, but distributor Lions Gate Films was so adamant to cast Leonardo DiCaprio-then considered the world's biggest actor-that it fired and replaced her with Oliver Stone. After Stone and DiCaprio left due to creative differences, Harron was rehired and Lions Gate begrudgingly let her cast Bale. Principal photography began in February 1999 in Toronto and New York City with a $7 million budget.
American Psycho 2000 | Film Cast Then & Now | How They Changed |
American Psycho debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2000, and was released theatrically on April 14, 2000. The film was a financial success, grossing over $34 million against a $7 million budget, and received mostly positive reviews, with praise for Bale's performance and the screenplay. It has developed a cult following. A direct-to-video sequel, American Psycho 2, was released in 2002, although it has little relation to the original.
American Psycho 2000 | Film Cast Then & Now | How They Changed |