American Psycho (film)

American Psycho
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mary Harron
Screenplay by	Mary Harron Guinevere Turner
Based on	American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Produced by	Edward R. Pressman Chris Hanley Christian Halsey Solomon
Starring	Christian Bale Willem Dafoe Jared Leto Josh Lucas Samantha Mathis Matt Ross Bill Sage Chloë Sevigny Cara Seymour Justin Theroux Guinevere Turner Reese Witherspoon
Cinematography	Andrzej Sekuła
Edited by	Andrew Marcus
Music by	John Cale
Production companies	Edward R. Pressman Productions Muse Productions
Distributed by	Lions Gate Films[1][2]
Release dates	January 21, 2000 (2000-01-21) (Sundance) April 14, 2000 (2000-04-14) (United States and Canada)
Running time	101 minutes[3]
Countries	United States[1] Canada[2]
Language	English
Budget	$7 million[4]
Box office	$34.3 million[4]

American Psycho is a 2000 horror satire film directed by Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner. Based on the 1991 novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon appear in supporting roles. The film blends horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman.

Ellis considered his controversial novel 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 because distributor Lions Gate Films sought Leonardo DiCaprio in the role, Harron was fired and replaced with Oliver Stone. After Stone and DiCaprio left due to creative differences, Harron was rehired and allowed to cast Bale. Principal photography began in February 1999 in Toronto and New York City.

American Psycho premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2000, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 14. The film received mostly positive reviews, with praise for Bale's performance and the screenplay, and grossed over $34 million on a $7 million budget. It has since developed a cult following and a strong presence in contemporary meme culture.^[5] A direct-to-video sequel, American Psycho 2, was released in 2002, although it has little relation to the original.