American Psycho

God help us all. With no further comment, we present the following press release:-

”American Psycho, the controversial social satire from acclaimed novelist Bret Easton Ellis, which was adapted into a feature film in 2000 top-lining “Dark Knight” star Christian Bale, will be adapted for the stage.

The Johnson-Roessler Company, The Collective and XYZ Films have partnered to acquire, develop and produce the live stage version.

American Psycho delves into the designer lifestyle and twisted mind of Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, young and handsome Wall Street investment banker in 1980s Manhattan . Whether applying an herb-mint facial masque during his morning routine, comparing business cards with his colleagues at Pierce & Pierce or attempting to get a reservation at restaurant hot-spot Dorsia, Bateman's obsessively materialistic behavior fills his days. By night, his mask of sanity slips into a world of drugs, prostitution and murder.

The Johnson-Roessler Company’s David Johnson, Craig Roessler and Jesse Singer, who brought the project to the company, are producing alongside The Collective’s Aaron Ray and XYZ Films’ Nate Bolotin. Ellis and Edward R. Pressman will serve as consulting producers. No dramatists have yet been confirmed. Original music will revive the nostalgia of the 80’s alongside celebrated hits from the era.

“American Psycho continues to be a cultural phenomenon,” said David Johnson. “Ellis’ book contains so many memorable lines and musical references that a live musical production is the perfect fit. The character of Patrick Bateman has become an icon for fans of Ellis’ book and the film adaptation, and now we can bring this dark but comical world of greed to the stage in an entertaining and thought-provoking way.”

Ellis’ 1991 satire ignited a major controversy due to its graphic depiction of violence. The book was originally scheduled for publication by Simon & Schuster, but the company balked due to outrage driven by massive publicity in advance of its release. Vintage, an imprint of Random House, bought the rights to the book and published it soon thereafter. The book, which shocked the nation and defined the decade, has sold over 1.6 million copies worldwide.

“This is the perfect storm of creative people to turn American Psycho into an entertaining musical play,” said Ellis. “American Psycho’s essence is the high-flying 80s, the decadence and the music -- together, they are the equivalent of a spectacular train wreck you have to watch.”

There has been a recent influx of successful novel-to-Broadway adaptations. Amanda Brown’s Legally Blonde has become an audience favorite and Gregory Maguire’s Wicked has broken box office records in addition to selling well over 1 million soundtrack units.

“It is clear that there is a resurgence of 1980s music with many of today’s top selling acts as they are turning back to the hits of the time for inspiration on style and sound,” says Nate Bolotin. “Ellis’ musical references to bands like Talking Heads, Genesis and Huey Lewis and The News fill entire chapters of the book, and we believe a live musical rendition will give fans and new audiences a chance to experience the story in a whole new way.”

Source: Aint It Cool News