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Despite not making huge numbers at the box office upon its release,American Psychohas 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.
Also read:“It’s weird to think of having s*x with him”: Christina Ricci Was Irritated of Her Intimate Love Scene With Johnny Depp, Who Was 18 Years Older Than Her
The Johnny Depp-ledAmerican Psychothat never saw the light of the day
By the early 90s,Johnny Deppwas already an established star in the horror landscape, thanks to movies likeA Nightmare on Elm StreetandEdward Scissorhands. So it’s reasonable to see why thePirates of the Caribbeanstar was the first choice in director Stuart Gordon’s mind after he got the keys to theAmerican PsychoIP, 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 ofThe Silence of the Lambswould change everything.
Also read:“It was a straight offer”: Timothee Chalamet Used Tom Holland’s Tactic to Land Johnny Depp’s Willy Wonka Role That Was Offered to Ryan Gosling and Ezra Miller
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 ofThe Silence of the Lambschanged everything. Not only the film became a cultural phenomenon, becoming the first horror film to win an Academy Award, but theAnthony 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”
Also read:“An unbelievably beautiful, cultured vixen”: Johnny Depp Got Deeply Romantic Talking About Angelina Jolie After Their Time Together In $278M Movie
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
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2542
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
