American Psycho Musical?

[Fan2]

Posted: 9/23/08 at 7:37pm

From the Hollywood Reporter:

'American Psycho' heads to Broadway
Producers developing film for the stage
By Gregg Goldstein
Sept 23, 2008, 06:55 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Will a singing "American Psycho" serial killer knock 'em dead on Broadway?

Producers are betting Bret Easton Ellis' novel and screen adaptation will translate to a stage musical, with original 1980s-inspired songs and familiar covers of hits from the era.

The Johnson-Roessler Co.'s David Johnson, Craig Roessler and Jesse Singer, the Collective's Aaron Ray and XYZ Films' Nate Bolotin have partnered to acquire, develop and produce the tale of violent Wall Street investment banker Patrick Bateman. Ellis and Edward R. Pressman, the producer of Mary Harron's 1999 film adaptation, will serve as consulting producers.

No director, book writer or songwriters have yet been brought on board the project, but producers say they're in early talks with some potential dramatists and hope to stage by 2010 with an eye for Broadway. Musical killers have had mixed success onstage, from the acclaimed "Sweeney Todd" and tepidly received "Assassins" to the disastrous "Carrie."

Johnson said that, aside from a love of the controversial 1991 Simon & Schuster bestseller, his main inspiration for staging the project is "the great economic divide in this country." Citing his years as a Wall Street lawyer in the '80s, he said he's aiming for a tone that's "very real, (though) obviously exaggerated."

Singer added that they hoped the musical would retain the book's satire and its "electric charge, which inspired both fans and haters." Its depiction of violence against women inspired protest when it was published.

Music rights have not yet been secured, but producers hope to include songs by such bands as Talking Heads, Genesis and Huey Lewis and the News mentioned extensively in the novel.

Ellis is repped by ICM and Media Talent Group.


Hollywood Reporter Updated On: 9/23/08 at 07:37 PM

[bwayfan9]

Posted: 9/23/08 at 7:42pm

iw

[BroadwayBelle2]

Posted: 9/23/08 at 7:44pm

No thanks.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/23/08 at 7:47pm

Oh, God.

No, please, no.

[crc03772]

Posted: 9/23/08 at 7:51pm

Only if we see Chritian Bale in all his glory, with just his running shoes and a chainsaw, again (totally kidding, this is going to suck if it comes to light).

[xerotheory7803]

Posted: 9/23/08 at 7:57pm

if done well, this could be GREAT.

[dramarama2]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 5:04am

Yes, but this won't be done well.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 6:38am

This could be fantastic if handled right

They might want to hurry up though as a play version is in the works in the UK

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 7:17am

It could be like a new Sweeney.

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 8:45am

Who do they expect the audience for this musical is going to be? It's certainly not something you could bring families too. It's also not something that you could camp up and have it be a lot of fun. People who've read the book and seen the movie are, I think, outside the normal theatergoing realm, and I'm not sure this would be the material to bring them in.

That said, it would definitely be interesting (if nothing else) and I would see it.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 8:48am

The same could be said about Sweeney Todd

[Weez]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 8:55am

Sometimes, reading the novel of 'American Psycho' is a lot like reading my LiveJournal. It's the tangents. They're hilarious. I get equally tangential at times. The book is supposed to be funny, right? There's a lot of deadpan in there.

Haven't seen the film though, which is odd, 'cos with a superbuff Christian Bale running around with no shirt on, you'd've thought I would...

As ever - my opinion is that with the right creative team, this could end up being fantastic, and we can't possibly know if it's terrible or not without seeing a finished product. I might make that my signature, so I don't even need to say anything in threads about "what do you think about THIS being turned into a musical?!" in future. ^_^

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 11:00am

It's definitely black comedy/satire

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 11:00am

It's definitely black comedy/satire

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 4:21pm

*sniff sniff* I smell 'Carrie.'

[LoveSpiralsDownward]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 4:43pm

Or Evil Dead: The Musical...complete with "splatter zone".

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 4:55pm

At least 'Evil Dead' was campy as hell. If they camp this up, it will ruin 'American Psycho.' Just like 'Carrie' was ruined.

This is a bad idea. 'The Wedding Singer: The Musical' meets 'American Psycho?' No, thank you!

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 5:18pm

I think it could get real campy when, for instance, Patrick's in the middle of slaughtering someone and the audience is hysterical.

I want to be there for that.

[choitoy]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 7:10pm

I just don't see how this would work. I loved the book (very over the top dark and disturbing, and the stuff Patrick Bateman does in the book makes the movie version look like a disney flick). I did like the movie, as it did what it could to be as faithful to the book as possible. But a lot of the themes in the story is either very alienating to the audience (the main character is a misogynistic, sex freak, upper class murderer who does it because he can and he can get away with it), and a lot of the book is about the afformentioned tangents into the mundane-ness of how the white collar business class interact with each other. (I don't really think anyone wants to see a musical number of a bunch of office workers comparing their business cards, then juxtaposed with a musical number with Patrick killing a hooker).

The overall message of the story wouldn't work as camp either. It may be a little campy, but you couldn't do the whole show as tongue in cheek, because the character of Patrick is dead serious.

If they must musicalize one of Ellis's books, I can kinda see "Rules of Attraction" as a musical.

[Weez]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 7:11pm

Actually, this is one show I'd be happy to accept as a jukebox musical.

I'm not sure how Huey Lewis or the News would take it though...

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 7:20pm

i didn't read the book-only saw the film. The minute Patrick Bateman was shown on screen, I knew he was a cartoon character. Laughable. I didn't take him seriously.

I can see how some musical theater aficionados would take umbrage at the subject matter of AP being put on the stage, but I"m not one of them. I'm all for breaking the rules and not being afraid to try something new and wacky.

p.s. Bale was superb as Bateman.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 9/24/08 at 10:57pm

I have to pee.