Despite not making huge numbers at the box office upon its release, American Psycho has cemented itself as a cult classic, which mostly is a result of Christian Bale’s exceptional acting skills. But before Bale was handed the role that eventually pushed him to the top, Johnny Depp was initially chosen to be the lead in the horror classic years before Bale was in the mix.
Before Mary Harron was given the keys to adapt Bret Easton Ellis’s gory novel, late director Stuart Gordon was initially set to bring the controversial novel to life with Johnny Depp at its forefront.
The Johnny Depp-led American Psycho that never saw the light of the day
By the early 90s, Johnny Depp was already an established star in the horror landscape, thanks to movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Edward Scissorhands. So it’s reasonable to see why the Pirates of the Caribbean star was the first choice in director Stuart Gordon’s mind after he got the keys to the American Psycho IP, whose controversies led to the original author disowning the novel. Reflecting on his vision for the story, Gordon claimed Depp absolutely loved his idea and was intrigued to star in this project after listening to the director’s favorite scene about the book.
“Johnny and I went out for drinks together and I told him about the book,” Gordon stated. “He nodded politely until I began describing one of my favorite scenes, in which Bateman steals a urinal cake out of the men’s bathroom at one of his trendy clubs, covers it in Hershey’s chocolate syrup, places it in a Godiva candy box and then gives it to his fiancée as a gift. She takes a bite and exclaims, ‘Mmm … minty!’ Johnny burst into laughter. ‘I’m in,’ he told me.
But the duo’s plan of bringing their own spin on the controversial novel would be short-lived, as the success of The Silence of the Lambs would change everything.
Johnny Depp was too old and lightweight for the role according to author Bret Easton Ellis
Although the renowned horror director was elated to bring the controversial novel to life with Johnny Depp at its forefront, the success of The Silence of the Lambs changed everything. Not only the film became a cultural phenomenon, becoming the first horror film to win an Academy Award, but the Anthony Hopkins-led film also increased the popularity of serial killers on the big screens. This resulted in Bret Easton Ellis seeing the novel’s potential, thus stopping the Gordon-led film from seeing the end of the tunnel, and removed Depp for being too lightweight and old for the gig. Gordon explained,
“It was clear that he was no longer disowning his controversial book, but rather, now that money was to be made, was embracing it. Not surprising, really. But then he began trashing me. He referred to me as a schlocky horror movie director who would ruin his book by turning it into a bloodbath. But what really infuriated me was that he also put down Johnny Depp, calling him a lightweight actor who was too old to play the part”
Although the Bale-led film is still adored by millions, it’s kind of heartbreaking to witness Gordon, who was extremely passionate about the material, never getting the opportunity to bring his version to the table.
American Psycho is available to stream on Apple TV.
Source: Talk House
