christian bale tom cruise interview

Christian Bale's American Psycho Inspiration Wasn't a Slasher - It Was Tom Cruise

Christian Bale's portrayal of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman wasn't inspired by a serial killer but by a Tom Cruise interview.

• Christian Bale based his portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho on Tom Cruise's intense friendliness and unnatural behavior in an interview with David Letterman.
• Bale's decision to model Bateman after Cruise added authenticity to his performance, as Bateman's forced happiness and exaggerated movements mirrored Cruise's onscreen and offscreen persona.
• While Nicolas Cage also served as an inspiration for Bateman, elements of Tom Cruise's mannerisms and energy can still be seen throughout the character's personality.

Christian Bale's portrayal of the psychopathic murderer Patrick Bateman has become iconic over the years--and for good reason. In American Psycho , a film based on Bret Easton Ellis's novel of the same name, Bateman's off-putting personality and over-the-top reactions in his head are disturbing and yet somewhat believable. However, as a result of his memorably exaggerated performance, Christian Bale decided to model Bateman after a real person to give him some authenticity. Surprisingly, Bale's portrayal wasn't modeled off of a serial killer, but rather fellow movie star Tom Cruise.

When American Psycho 's Patrick Bateman isn't being serious or villainous, he often wears a big grin and speaks in a forcibly happy manner. It almost feels like he's not human but instead someone observing humans and figuring out how they should behave in situations. Bale clearly put much thought into how he wanted Bateman to behave and drew inspiration from one of the most famous movie stars.

Updated on February 18, 2024 by Jordan Iacobucci: More than twenty years after its release, American Psycho continues to be a culturally significant film. This is due in large part to Christian Bale's chilling portrayal of Patrick Bateman, which has itself become iconic over the years. While many fans of the film may recognize that Bale based part of his character on Tom Cruise, that isn't the entire story. In the years since the film's release, Bale and those close to him have added to the history of how he crafted the character. As it turns out, there were multiple influences outside of Tom Cruise who helped inspire the creation of Patrick Bateman, adding to the mythos surrounding one of the best films from the early 2000s.

Tom Cruise's Interviews Inspired Christian Bale in American Psycho

American psycho's ending, explained: is paul allen really dead.

In an interview with director Mary Harron , the inspiration for Christian Bale's American Psycho inspiration was revealed to be action film superstar Tom Cruise. Harron recalled that, one day, Bale had phoned her with the news that he had found inspiration for American Psycho . Having watched Tom Cruise doing an interview with late-nate commentator David Letterman, Bale saw the exact qualities he wanted to portray in Bateman. Harron described Cruise as having this "very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes" and that Bale was really taken aback by his energy. He thought it would naturally fit into the unnatural business world of American Psycho , which it certainly did.

Tom Cruise is known for being very intense, both onscreen and behind the scenes. Moreover, the actor always comes across as incredibly happy due to his big grin and exaggerated movements. Though Cruise's co-stars typically praise the actor , some viewers have labeled his energy as being forced, like Patrick Bateman's. Even so, others see Cruise's mannerisms as being nothing more than a genuine enthusiasm for the art of cinema. Either way, there is certainly no denying an unnaturalness to the actor's behavior, explaining why Christian Bale thought it would be perfect to adapt for American Psycho .

Christian Bale Used Tom Cruise's Mannerisms for Patrick Bateman

An american psycho theory turns patrick bateman's exercise regimen sinister.

Although Patrick Bateman is obviously a lot more aggressive than Tom Cruise, there are hints of his personality in American Psycho . For example, when Bateman brings a drunk colleague home and is gearing up to murder him, his big grin and wide eyes are eerily reminiscent of Cruise. And, much like in Cruise's Letterman interview, everything Patrick Bateman talks about -- especially music -- is with a deep passion, walking the line between genuine and forceful.

Despite the resemblance, it's safe to assume that Christian Bale's performance in American Psycho wasn't purposefully targeting Tom Cruise by relating him to a serial killer. It would appear that Christian Bale has nothing personal against Cruise, but rather leapt at the chance to craft a believable character. But still, some audiences dislike Cruise due to his involvement in the Scientology movement, whereas many who have worked with him insist he's one of the nicest and most professional people they've ever met. Even so, his connection to the group has generated a different public image for Cruise than that of the 80s and 90s, resulting in various caricatures, including Bale's iconic performance as Patrick Bateman.

Who Else Inspired Patrick Bateman In American Psycho

Sigma or killer the truth behind american psycho's patrick bateman.

Twenty-three years after its initial release, American Psycho is still considered to be a masterpiece of filmmaking and has managed to remain surprisingly culturally relevant, even for a new generation of viewers. With over two decades in hindsight, some of the widely reported stories about Christian Bale's performance in the classic 2000s film can be put in order. Over the years, the stories about Bateman being directly based on Tom Cruise have become very well known, but it isn't quite as simple as some people may have previously thought. While it is true that the actor based parts of the character of Patrick Bateman on Tom Cruise, there was more than one person who inspired the creation of the iconic serial killer.

One of the major inspirations for Patrick Bateman outside of Tom Cruise was none other than Nicolas Cage . According to Christian Bale: The Inside Story of the Darkest Batman by Harrison Cheung, Bale partially based his performance on that of Nicolas Cage in Vampire's Kiss . The film in question sees Cage, known for his overacting and boisterous roles, portray a literary agent who slowly creeps toward madness--not unlike Patrick Bateman in American Psycho . Vampire's Kiss has become a cult classic, with Cage's performance remaining one of the most memorable parts of the film. It would appear that the more unhinged side of Patrick Bateman stems from Cage's performance, though elements of Tom Cruise still remain sprinkled throughout the character's personality.

An actor often draws many inspirations from the real world for each individual character he portrays. Especially in a role as complex and deep as that of Patrick Bateman, it isn't surprising that Christian Bale sought to ground his character in real influences. Likely an amalgamation of many different people, including Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage, Patrick Bateman is a character who speaks to generations because of just how real a character he is.

American Psycho

A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.

Tom Cruise Inspired Christian Bale's Performance in 'American Psycho'

"Impressive, very nice."

The Big Picture

• Christian Bale drew inspiration from Tom Cruise's intense friendliness with "nothing behind the eyes" for his portrayal of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho .
• Both Tom Cruise and Patrick Bateman strive to fit in and conform to societal expectations.
• While Cruise has never played a character exactly like Bateman, his other roles showcase similar qualities and an understanding of Bateman's personality makeup.

Christian Bale is one of Hollywood's finest actors. If there's any actor that has continued the legacies of Paul Muni and Daniel Day-Lewis by being true acting chameleons, it's him. With one of the most one-of-a-kind metabolisms in human history that allows him to truly take on whatever shape he needs to, from a scrawny racer in Ford v Ferrari to the big gut and bald-headed Dick Cheney in Vice , few actors have been as shape-shifting as him. American Psycho is the role that officially made him a star and forced people to take notice of him. It wasn't just his chiseled body and empty commercialized voice that made his performance a revelation, but also the behavioral traits he stole from an actually not-all-that-surprising source that helped him unlock Bateman from within.

American Psycho

In New York City in 1987, a handsome, young urban professional, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by night. The cast is filled by the detective (Willem Dafoe), the fiance (Reese Witherspoon), the mistress (Samantha Mathis), the coworker (Jared Leto), and the secretary (Chloë Sevigny). This is a biting, wry comedy examining the elements that make a man a monster.

Who Is Patrick Bateman in 'American Psycho'?

As Bateman says at the beginning of American Psycho , there is an idea of who he is, but he is simply not there. While many have tried to argue that this is meant to be read on a deeper level as insight into a once-good man who's been fully consumed by capitalism, the reality is that it's probably far more literal than anyone thought. If you look across interviews with original book author Bret Easton Ellis and film co-writer and director Mary Harron , they attest that the book and subsequent film could only truly work when viewed as a dark satirical comedy skewering the fragility of the male ego in an ultra-capitalist society .

With that logic in mind, it makes more sense to view Patrick Bateman as less a human being with traditional motivations and more like someone impersonating a human being. When Bateman tries to do "normal" things like talk about important issues to think about in the current world or describe why he loves his favorite music albums, his voice slips into the default state of an "as seen on TV" sales rep as dictated by a teleprompter. So, with all that said, when Christian Bale took on this assignment and understood that he was playing a humanoid creature that can only simulate what it's like to be truly human, who did he turn to for inspiration? Tom Cruise .

How Did Tom Cruise Inspire Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman?

Yes, Tom Cruise. The death-defying, cinema-saving icon himself inspired American Psycho 's Patrick Bateman. In a 2009 interview with Mary Harron , she said that Bale once called her and said that he had a light bulb moment. In trying to nail how "Martian-like" Bateman was and how he was "watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave," Bale stumbled upon a conversation between Tom Cruise and David Letterman . Bale made note of how Cruise "just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes," and he was inspired by this energy. She didn't elaborate much beyond this, but it's still a goldmine.

Cruise has garnered a lot of respect throughout the years, being consistently touted as both a supremely talented and versatile actor and one of the nicest, most magnetic people you could possibly be around . But that reputation has always been underlined with this unspoken acceptance that he seems... let's just say "intense." It's too easy to pin this all on the couch-jumping incident and his "I am the last true movie star and I will fight for that title with my dying breath" energy. The way he throws himself into everything he does with too much energy is a bit jarring . Remember the time he got water sprayed in his face at a red carpet event for War of the Worlds and mercilessly chewed the prankster out by constantly asking "Why'd you do that?" all while smiling the biggest smile he could possibly muster? Or how eager he is for us to see him jumping off the top of a mountain or dangling off of a plane in midair? Yes, it's a little... strange.

Tom Cruise and Patrick Bateman Both Want To Be the Best

With this in mind, it makes the black humor of Patrick Bateman even funnier than it already was. You start to look more closely at American Psycho for Tom Cruise-shaped Easter eggs, seeing if Bateman does something that can create a direct link. The way Cruise talks on talk shows, especially when he's going into sales rep mode, is most evident when Patrick goes on one of his signature speeches about the wonders of his mediocre taste in music. The Huey Lewis rant has been picked apart to death and is arguably the most manic of his outbursts, but the Cruise-ian element is how unwavering he is once he gets going.

Tom Cruise Made a Blink-and-You-Miss-It Cameo in a Brat Pack Western

Paul Allen ( Jared Leto ) asking if he's wearing a raincoat does absolutely nothing to stop Bateman from preaching the wonders of conformity, or capping him with an ax, for that matter. It calls to mind the way Cruise can hold an audience under his spell, be it when he's convincing Rod Tidwell ( Cuba Gooding, Jr. ) to keep him as his agent in Jerry Maguire , or how he holds the attention of an entire audience of men's rights activists when he's lecturing them in Magnolia . Outside his music monologuing, the other big thing about Bateman that fits Cruise's sensibility is summarized in his assertion, "I want to fit in." By all accounts, Cruise's entire life has been devoted to making himself the biggest star in the world, and doing what it takes to maintain that position.

At almost every turn, he made the right choice in shifting sets to satisfy what audiences wanted from him. He's worked with auteur directors like Tony Scott and Francis Ford Coppola in the '80s, then aligned himself with the Mission: Impossible franchise . He's also stretched his dramatic acting muscles with films like Jerry Maguire and Magnolia in the '90s and has committed himself to being the biggest action star in the world in the 21st century with projects like Top Gun: Maverick . With some notable exceptions (we do not speak of Knight and Day ), Cruise has a knack for morphing into what audiences would respond to at the moment. Patrick Bateman's whole philosophy is fitting himself into whatever the culture around him tells him is cool.

Tom Cruise Has Played Characters Similar to American Psycho's Patrick Bateman

Although Tom Cruise has never given a performance quite like Bale's in American Psycho , you can find Bateman-esque qualities in other roles. In Collateral , he was a sociopath assassin who funneled his philosophy of life into murder. In Magnolia , he was a charismatic public speaker masking a deep-seated insecurity over his relationship with his father. Jerry Maguire features him as a powerful white-collar agent questioning his sense of what's important in his life. Cruise has the ability to imbue his characters with a sense of clear focus and intensity that can communicate an undertone of rumbling anxiety and wavering conviction, much like how Bale can communicate Bateman's progressing crumbling of self.

Tom Cruise’s Dedication to His Work Only Intensifies

American Psycho 's legacy has only grown in recent years, thanks in no small part to Christian Bale going on to have such an incredible career. The character of Patrick Bateman has been analyzed and misrepresented , becoming a poster boy for things he wasn't supposed to. It feels like he has become somewhat divorced and distorted from the relatively straightforward consumerism satire from which he was born.

In a similar vein, Tom Cruise's career also feels as if it has evolved from what he once was . Long gone are the days of him as a cocky underdog with an unexpected empathetic undercurrent, and instead we have a man who constantly risks his life on-screen for our pleasure . As the behavioral layers gradually peeled away to uncover Bateman's deep existential insecurity and narcissism in American Psycho , so too, did the acting layers gradually peel away to reveal Tom Cruise's film choices and priority to please all audiences. It goes to show how far a killer work ethic and unbridled passion can take you — for better or for worse.

American Psycho is available to watch on Peacock in the U.S.

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Continuing Coverage

Christian Bale Based “Psycho” on Tom Cruise: Director

"he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes," the film's director said of cruise, by xana o'neill • published october 22, 2009 • updated on august 24, 2012 at 3:26 am.

Christian Bale 's inspiration for his role as a dead-behind-the-eyes sociopath in the film "American Psycho" was none other than Tom Cruise , the film's director revealed.

In an interview with Black Book , director Mary Harron said she spent a lot of time on long-distance phone calls with the hunky actor when he was in L.A. and she was in New York trying to hash out how to best play the merciless murderer Patrick Bateman in the 2000 horror flick.

"It was definitely a process," Harron told the magazine. "We talked a lot." 

Then, one day it clicked for Bale.

"We talked about how Martian-like Patrick Bateman was, how he was looking at the world like somebody from another planet, watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave," Harron said.

"And then one day he called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman , and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy." 

The news comes on the heels of Bronson Pinchot's accusations that the actor made "constant unrelated homophobic comments" on the set of the 1983 "Risky Business."

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Cruise's rep denied the allegations to told Entertainment Weekly .

"Obviously, this is so far removed from who Tom Cruise is as a person, this must have been said in jest,"  the rep said.

Christian Bale's 'American Psycho' Inspiration: Tom Cruise

We hope that no one is really as soulless as Patrick Bateman, but Christian Bale's performance in 2000's 'American Psycho' was so frighteningly believable he must have had some real-life inspiration. Turns out Bale studied Tom Cruise's mannerisms to bring the clean-cut murder addict to life.

The movie's director, Mary Harron, revealed in an interview with BlackBook :

We talked about how Martian-like Patrick Bateman was, how he was looking at the world like somebody from another planet, watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave. And then one day he called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy.

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Who other than Tom Cruise has inspired Christian Bale?

Even by Tom Cruise's standards, this hasn't been a particularly great week for Tom Cruise. On Wednesday his publicist was forced to address comments made by Bronson Pinochet from Perfect Strangers - who accused Cruise of making "constant, constant unrelated homophobic comments" during the filming of Risky Business. And now it's been revealed that he was also the inspiration for Christian Bale's performance in American Psycho. The film's director, Mary Harron, told Black Book magazine that Bale initially struggled with the role of Patrick Bateman until he noticed Cruise's "intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes" during a David Letterman interview, and the rest is history.

This news won't come as too much of a surprise to anyone who's seen American Psycho, since Bateman channels Cruise's dead-eyed sincerity and creepy intensity so perfectly that it's a wonder the film didn't end with him shouting: "One day, so help me God, I'll star as a Nazi! A good Nazi with an eye-patch and a Californian accent!"

But it does raise a very good question: if Tom Cruise was Christian Bale's inspiration for Patrick Bateman, then who else has inspired the various Bale roles over the years? Let's find out:

Batman (Batman Begins/The Dark Knight)

For Christopher Nolan's stark re-imagining of the Batman myth, Christian Bale needed to find a modern hero for inspiration; a troubled vigilante with powerful enemies on both sides of the law, like Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry. That didn't happen in the end - Bale instead decided to run around punching people while doing a spot-on impression of gruff-voiced blue-haired 1980s Coronation Street character Phyllis Pearce. Or, if that's too oblique a reference for younger readers, then let's say that Christian Bale was inspired by all of humanity in the days prior to the invention of the throat lozenge.

John Connor (Terminator Salvation)

Christian Bale needed to become a different John Connor to the one we'd seen in previous Terminator films. He wasn't a rebellious youth or a dirty-faced pretty boy - he was a warrior. A warrior who wouldn't take any crap from anyone. Very much in the vein of, say, Bill O'Reilly or David O Russell . And it worked - when you watched Terminator Salvation, you really got a sense that Christian Bale hated robots. And lighting directors. Mainly lighting directors, actually.

Alfred Borden (The Prestige)

It seems clear that Bale's charming East End magician was a composite of several various inspirations - one part young Michael Caine, three parts Shane Ritchie, five parts Dick Van Dyke from Mary Poppins and 12 parts someone who appears to have never listened to a London accent once in their entire life.

Trevor Reznik (The Machinist)

Where Bale played an exhausted, dangerously-gaunt character who appeared to be confused by everything he saw. Not really sure about Bale's inspiration for this one - the entire cast of America's Next Top Model, possibly?

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DYK Christian Bale Was Inspired By Tom Cruise In The Iconic American Psycho

Updated Jan 30, 2024, 16:39 IST

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Eerie: Tom Cruise Was Christian Bale's Inspiration For Patrick Bateman

Su-su-Suri. In a new interview with Black Book , director Mary Harron dryly shares the revelation that Christian Bale 's inspiration for his pretty-damn-legendary performance in her American Psycho was none other than Tom Cruise . What's more, there is previous online precedent to connect Cruise's go-getter, '80s attitude and famous physical regimen with Patrick Bateman 's yuppie, psychopathic shell. After the jump, we have Harron's very candid remark, as well as the actor who so embodies this strange, pop culture duality...

How did you and Christian Bale develop his character in American Psycho ?

Mary Harron: It was definitely a process. [Bale and I] talked a lot, but he was in L.A. and I was in New York. We didn't actually meet in person a lot, just talked on the phone. We talked about how Martian-like Patrick Bateman was, how he was looking at the world like somebody from another planet, watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave. And then one day he called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy.

But, you know, phony "nothingness" in a good way. As Mark Graham at Vulture adds, this slight at Cruise arrives on the heels of another gossipy diss this week by Bronson Pinchot , who fired a public shot at Cruise's "strange" behavior on the set of Risky Business . Perhaps what is most fun about this Harron's admission is that Mad Men recently conjured the similarity by casting actor Miles Fisher as an overly charming pot dealer who visits the Manhattan offices of Sterling Cooper . Countless fans of the show remarked on the uncanny resemblance of Fisher's character with both '80s-era Cruise and Bale's Bateman; I remember trying to decide which one was closest. At the time, fewer fans realized that Fisher had already made a face for himself by impersonating Cruise to effing perfection in Superhero Movie . Here's the memorable video of that performance...

And then Fisher went a step further with his Cruise-ness, by making a NSFW video cover of the Talking Heads ' "This Must Be Place" while playing and recreating scenes as Cruise-as-Bateman from Harron's Psycho .

All of this makes it difficult to watch Harron's film (and Fisher in unrelated roles?) without falling down a rabbit hole in which one of the world's biggest superstars and one of cinema's shallowest serial killers are one in the same. It sounds like the predictable and faux-shocking plot to an Ellis book. Yikes.

Fans Linked Tom Cruise's Interview On David Letterman's 'Late Show' To Christian Bale's 'American Psycho' Character

Tom Cruise hysterically laughing at a dangerous story on David Letterman's 'Late Night Show' reminded fans of Christian Bale's 'American Psycho'.

Tom Cruise does things differently. Whether it be his crazy stunts or setting up a film studio in space, set for 2024, the actor always finds ways to do things out of the norm.

The same goes for the way he conducts himself during live interviews. In truth, you really never know what to expect from the ' Mission Impossible ' actor.

He can either be in a cheerful and playful mood like we saw on Oprah years back. Or, we can see the complete opposite, with one statement or comment completely derailing the actor, just ask Matt Lauer and how awkward that interview ended up being when Brooke Shields was brought up.

RELATED - Tom Cruise Can Hold His Breath Underwater Longer Than Most Humans

We'll take a look back at those moments, while also revisiting Cruise's interview alongside David Letterman on the 'Late Show' . Turns out, the interview might've served as inspiration for a certain film.

Tom Cruise Has A History Of Going Off The Rails During Live Interviews

The actor has some weird tendencies when it comes to his interview habits. For one, he might be the only actor to bring a recorder during interviews. Something he is known for. Once the interview starts, his publicist hits the record button.

"To this day, he is the only celebrity to have recorded an interview that I was recording," Coyne writes. "When I think about how much sense it makes for a celebrity, particularly one known for having to handle controversy, to have proof of what they said, I'm surprised more subjects don't do this."

RELATED - What Happened To Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields’ Feud?

Of course, that's only the start, as Tom got into it during a memorable interview on the 'Today Show' alongside Matt Lauer. The interview took a huge twist when Lauer brought up Brooke Shields and her reliance on psychiatric aid along with medication. Cruise took exception to this, calling it a pseudo-science and from then on, the interview went completely off the rails.

We can also add his interview alongside Oprah to the equation, as Tom completely lost it when talking about love life with Katie Holmes, jumping and laughing erratically. Heck, he would even go get Holmes backstage, making it quite the moment.

That was far from the last head-turning interview, as the actor made the headlines once again during his interview on the 'Late Show'.

Tom Cruise Completely Lost It During His 'Late Night' Interview Alongside David Letterman

It started off completely innocently, with Cruise detailing a story on how he was flying at a high altitude alongside a co-pilot. Then suddenly, the conversation took a twist, as Cruise stated that they had turned off the oxygen for the back passenger, so they could've been able to reach a higher altitude...

Cruise laughed saying once they would cut that off, the passenger would go to sleep. He detailed the scenario laughing hysterically. Letterman looked on confused, stating, "isn't that attempted manslaughter," only for Cruise to laugh even more hysterically.

RELATED - Tom Cruise Won't Shoot Another Film With This Iconic Actor

Cruise would try to detail the end of the story and what happened when they landed, though he couldn't get it out, laughing at himself the entire time. At this point, Dave and the audience would also start to laugh, in large part thanks to Cruise's own laughter.

It was a hilarious, yet awkward moment when you really stop to think about why Cruise was laughing so much. Fans on YouTube picked up on the moment, relating it to a certain iconic film character.

Fans Linked The Interview To Christian Bales 'American Psycho' Character

It is believed that Christian Bale used this very interview to base his ' American Psycho' character. In truth, fans had also realized this on YouTube , as the comment section was filled with comparisons.

"Tom Cruise laughs hysterically remembering the time he turned off a guy's oxygen. Tom Cruise should play more super-villains."

"David Letterman: You think this is funny? You tried to kill a man by hypoxia. Is this funny? Tom: It is, and I'm tired of pretending it's not *hysterical laughter."

"Christian Bale: Jesus this guy is a total psycho Christian Bale: Christian Bale: Oh my god."

"I can see why Christian Bale found this guy helpful, even if this wasn't the 1999 interview. You can't tell whether he's nuts, acting his ass off, or genuinely laughing."

"Damn. Christian Bale really does pay attention to details."

To think that this interview would lead to a cult-classic film... In truth, watching it back, we can't help but to make similarities between the two.

It turned out to be yet another memorable Tom Cruise moment, one of the many throughout his career off the film camera.

NEXT - When Fans Started Noticing Tom Cruise's Changing Face

Ford v. Ferrari's Original Cast Was Even Bigger Than Christian Bale & Matt Damon

• Pitt & Cruise were originally considered for Ford v. Ferrari, but Damon and Bale delivered exceptional performances.
• Budget conflicts led to the original version of the film "Go Like Hell" falling apart.
• Ford v. Ferrari's success could have been even bigger with Pitt and Cruise in the lead roles.

The original casting choices for Ford v. Ferrari might have made the critically acclaimed film even more of a box office hit. Ford v. Ferrari stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale as Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, two real-life legends of the Ford automobile brand and racing team. Surprisingly, it was the first movie to pair the two iconic Oscar-winning actors on screen . It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards at the 2020 Oscars, including Best Picture of the Year, taking home the trophies for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing.

Directed by James Mangold ( Logan , 3:10 to Yuma , Walk the Line , Girl, Interrupted ), Ford v. Ferrari was written by Jason Keller ( Escape Plan ), Jez & John-Henry Butterworth ( Edge of Tomorrow ). Ford v. Ferrari is based on the true story of Carroll Shelby , a notable car designer, who enlists Ken Miles to race a revolutionary Ford car during the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. Ford v. Ferrari was a critical success, earning a score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and also features performances by Jon Bernthal, Josh Lucas, and Caitríona Balfe. The onscreen chemistry between Bale and Damon is just one of the great aspects of the film.

Ford v. Ferrari Was Originally Planned For Brad Pitt & Tom Cruise - Why It Didn't Happen

The original version of the film titled "go like hell" fell apart due to budget conflicts.

According to The Hollywood Reporter , the roles that Bale and Damon play in Ford v. Ferrari were originally meant to go to Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Pitt was slated to portray the hotshot racer Ken Miles, while Cruise was expected to play Caroll Shelby back in 2013. Joseph Kosinski, who directed Cruise in Oblivion (2013) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), was previously meant to direct the film that would become Mangold's Ford v. Ferrari . Acclaimed director Michael Mann ( Ferrari , Heist , Collateral , The Insider ) was also attached to direct the project back in 2009, which is when Pitt was rumored to be involved.

The film's original title was Go Like Hell , which was an adaptation of the 2009 book Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans written by A. J. Baime. Regardless of its title, the heartbeat of the film makes it truly feel like a Cruise or Pitt action flick , although that version of the movie never came to be due to budget conflicts. According to IndieWire , Kosinski revealed, " I got to the point where I had Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt at a table read, reading the script together. But we couldn’t get the budget to the number it had to be at, and it was the right number. So that was the one for me that got away. "

10 Car Movies Based On A True Story To Watch If You Loved Ford V Ferrari

Pitt & cruise could've made ford v. ferrari an even bigger hit, it could have ranked higher on the historic 2019 box office list.

2019 was a massive year for theatrical releases, with nine of the ten highest-grossing films of the year earning more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

Bale and Damon proved to be incredible in each of their respective roles, which was a big part of Ford v. Ferrari's critical acclaim and box office success. The film earned more than $224 million at the worldwide box office against a production budget of $97.6 million (via The Numbers ). There is no reason to critique Ford v. Ferrari for what it could have been, given its success at the box office and the 2020 Academy Awards. If Pitt and Cruise had been the lead actors, however, Ford v. Ferrari or " Go Like Hell " might have had an even more impressive box office showing in a historic year at the movies.

2019 was a massive year for theatrical releases, with nine of the ten highest-grossing films of the year earning more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office . Since then, only 6 movies have made more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. With its $224 million box office performance, Ford v. Ferrari ranked 40th on the list of highest-grossing movies of 2019. With Pitt and Cruise in the driver's seats, that total may have doubled or even skyrocketed to massive heights close to the top 10 films of the year. While it wasn't an incredible success like Joker (2019) or The Lion King (2019), Ford v. Ferrari was still a great success.

Ford v. Ferrari is currently streaming on Apple TV+.

Ford v. Ferrari's Casting Worked Out Brilliantly

Damon and bale are naturally excellent in their roles.

Ford v. Ferrari's casting worked out brilliantly for both Bale and Damon, who were both exceptional and convincing in their roles. While Cruise and Pitt's first onscreen reunion since 1994's Interview With The Vampire would have been more of a monumental movie-going event , Ford v. Ferrari as it stands is a truly great movie. If Pitt had signed on for Ford v. Ferrari , it may have interfered with his star role in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time In Hollywood (2019). The same goes for Cruise, whose Top Gun: Maverick began production in 2018. All things considered, Damon and Bale's involvement in Ford v. Ferrari turned out for the better.

Top Gun 3 Has 1 Major Difference To Top Gun: Maverick That Means We Shouldn't Have To Wait Another 36 Years

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, The Numbers

Ford v Ferrari

Directed by James Mangold, Ford v Ferrari is a sports drama that tells the true story of car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who team up to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

Director James Mangold

Release Date August 30, 2019

Studio(s) Turnpike Films, Chernin Entertainment, TSG Entertainment

Distributor(s) 20th Century

Writers Jason Keller, John-Henry Butterworth, Jez Butterworth

Cast Caitrona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Josh Lucas

Rating pg-13

Runtime 152minutes

Genres Drama, sport

Budget $97.6 million

Ex. : Banlieusards 2 , Bob Marley One Love , L'Empire

"Rien derrière les yeux" : cette star d'Hollywood a inspiré Christian Bale pour American Psycho

C'est une inspiration intéressante et surprenante : Christian Bale a trouvé chez Tom Cruise des éléments pour nourrir son interprétation mémorable de Patrick Bateman.

Adaptation du roman de Bret Easton Ellis de 1991, American Psycho (2000) de Mary Harron est un classique intemporel considéré parmi les meilleurs films de tous les temps. Mettant en scène Christian Bale – qui se transforme physiquement pour la première fois, le début d’une longue liste – le thriller se déroule au beau milieu des années Reagan et suit le parcours psychotique de Patrick Bateman, un golden boy misogyne, homophobe et raciste de Wall Street qui cache, derrière son apparence superficielle et luxueuse, une personnalité de psychopathe qui le pousse à commettre une série d’actes meurtriers inhumains.

À sa sortie en l’an 2000, le film d’horreur psychologique avait connu un succès commercial phénoménal. Mêlant horreur et comédie noire, le film est surtout une comédie satirique mettant en avant la fragilité de l’ego masculin dans le cadre d’une société ultra capitaliste. Finalement, comme le rappelle Collider, il faut penser à Patrick Bateman moins comme un être humain que comme quelqu’un se faisant passer pour un être humain. Lorsqu’il essaie de faire des choses “normales”, sa voix devient par défaut celle d’un représentant commercial.

American Psycho est le film qui a officiellement fait de Christian Bale une star. Et ce n’est pas seulement son corps ciselé et sa voix vide et commercialisée justement qui ont fait de sa performance une révélation, mais aussi son comportement qu’il a “emprunté” à une source qui peut paraître surprenante au premier abord, un autre acteur qui l’a aidé à trouver son Bateman intérieur.

En effet pour créer sa créature humanoïde emblématique, Christian Bale s’est inspiré de “ l’intense gentillesse ” avec “ rien derrière les yeux ” d’un certain Tom Cruise ...

Des points communs ?

Oui, on parle bien du vrai Tom Cruise , l’icône du cinéma qui défie la mort à chaque tournage. Dans une interview accordée à BlackBook en 2009, Mary Harron avait en effet déclaré que Christian Bale l’avait appelée un jour et lui avait dit qu’il avait eu un éclair de génie. En essayant de comprendre à quel point Bateman était “ martien ” et comment il “ regardait ce que les gens faisaient et essayait de trouver la bonne façon de se comporter ”, Bale est tombé sur une conversation entre Tom Cruise et David Letterman et a noté que l’acteur “ avait cette amitié très intense sans rien derrière les yeux ”, et il a été inspiré par cette énergie.

Tom Cruise a suscité beaucoup de respect au fil des années, étant constamment présenté à la fois comme un acteur extrêmement talentueux et polyvalent, et comme l’une des personnes les plus gentilles et les plus magnétiques que vous puissiez côtoyer. Mais cette réputation a toujours été accompagnée par une acceptation tacite : il semble “intense” – à commencer par la façon dont il se lance dans tout ce qu’il fait avec une énergie débordante.

Puisque Christian Bale l’a cité comme source d’inspiration, on ne peut désormais s’empêcher de tenter de trouver des similitudes entre l’acteur et le personnage. Patrick Bateman prend une autre dimension si on commence à regarder American Psycho à la recherche d’œufs de Pâques en forme de Tom Cruise ! Peut-être la façon dont ce dernier parle dans les talk-shows, surtout lorsqu’il passe en mode représentant commercial “à la Bateman” ? On peut aussi dire que l’acteur et le personnage s’efforcent tous deux de s’adapter et de se conformer aux attentes de la société – comme le démontre les choix de rôles de Tom Cruise au fil du temps.

Tom Cruise a su s’adapter à la société qui l’entoure

Un autre trait en commun : tous deux souhaitent “s’intégrer”. De toute évidence, Tom Cruise a consacré sa carrière à devenir l’une des plus grandes stars du monde et à faire ce qu’il fallait pour conserver cette position.

Et il a fait les bons choix en changeant de décor pour satisfaire ce que le public attendait de lui. Il a travaillé avec des cinéastes tels Tony Scott et Francis Ford Coppola dans les années 80, puis s’est consacré, corps et âme, à la franchise Mission: Impossible . Il a également développé son jeu d’acteur dramatique avec des films comme Jerry Maguire et Magnolia dans les années 90 et reste engagé à être l’une des plus grandes stars d’action aujourd’hui avec des projets comme Top Gun: Maverick – et des Mission: Impossible encore et toujours.

Bien qu’il n’ait jamais joué un personnage ressemblant exactement à Patrick Bateman, d’autres de ses rôles ont présenté des traits similaires à la personnalité du psychopathe notoire, qui aurait pu inspirer Christian Bale également.

Dans Magnolia (1999), il incarne un orateur charismatique masquant une profonde insécurité quant à sa relation avec son père. Dans Collatéral (2004), il est un assassin sociopathe qui a canalisé sa philosophie de vie vers le meurtre. Jerry Maguire (1996) le présente comme un puissant agent en col blanc remettant en question ce qui est important dans la vie.

Et puis, il y a bien sûr Entretien avec un vampire (1994), même si on peut attribuer la personnalité psychopathe et meurtrière de Lestat au fait qu’il soit un vampire de longue date – mais cela ne l’excuse pas entièrement. Face à lui, Louis ( Brad Pitt ) choisit un autre chemin, un chemin qui ne le mène pas à tuer tout ce qui bouge.

Quoi qu’il en soit, Tom Cruise charme son public et a finalement le don de s’adapter à son époque et de satisfaire les attentes du moment, ce qui rappelle – de façon non psychopathe bien sûr – la philosophie de Patrick Bateman qui consiste à s’adapter à tout ce que la culture qui l’entoure lui dit être “cool”.

Au fil des ans, le dévouement de l’acteur à son travail n’a fait que s’intensifier, sa carrière ayant évolué par rapport à ce qu’elle était à ses débuts. On est loin de l’époque où il était un outsider, et on a maintenant affaire à un homme qui risque constamment sa vie à l’écran pour notre plaisir – avec une priorité : plaire à tous les publics.

À l’inverse d’ailleurs, on peut imaginer que Patrick Bateman serait peut-être lui aussi inspiré par Tom Cruise ...

American Psycho est actuellement disponible en streaming sur Netflix et Prime Video.

• Bientôt un remake pour le film qui a fait de Christian Bale une star ?
• Christian Bale : vous voulez la preuve que c'est l'acteur le plus perfectionniste de sa génération ? L'auteur d'American Psycho n'en est pas revenu...

Warner Bros. Spends Big: ‘Joker 2’ Budget Hits $200 Million, Lady Gaga’s $12 Million Payday, Courting Tom Cruise’s New Deal and More 

By Tatiana Siegel

Tatiana Siegel

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In January, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy jetted to London to connect with the new crown jewel of the studio, Tom Cruise . The three met to identify a film that would kick off their nonexclusive “strategic partnership.” Sources say a raft of possibilities were discussed, including an “Edge of Tomorrow” follow-up and Quentin Tarantino ’s “The Movie Critic,” which currently isn’t set up with a distributor and has Warner Bros., like every major studio, salivating.

Popular on Variety

“The strategy at Warner Bros. right now and the reason they made some of these big star deals is they’re basically playing with other people’s money,” says one insider. “They’re shopping for Quentin or Cruise with the notion they can use it as a shiny object that is going to be additive when Zaslav sells the company.”

That time may be approaching. In April, Warner Bros. Discovery can entertain offers to buy, sell or merge with a studio like NBCUniversal, as many on the lot believe will happen. That’s when the two-year lock-up period expires as part of the 2022 deal that united WarnerMedia and Discovery. All of the recent moves, from a first-look pact with Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap to the quest to land Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” follow-up are akin to painting a house before it hits the market.

And this is one splashy renovation. The budget for Todd Phillips’ musical “Joker” sequel — one of De Luca and Abdy’s first green lights — has ballooned to about $200 million, a significant bump from the $60 million cost of the first film. Sources say Joaquin Phoenix is getting $20 million to reprise his role as the clown prince of crime, while Lady Gaga is taking home about $12 million to play Harley Quinn. “Joker” took in more than $1 billion, but musicals are tricky. Case in point: Warners lost $40 million on last year’s “The Color Purple,” according to sources. Though that one can be blamed on the previous regime.

Some argue that spending big is essential when releasing movies in theaters.

“There’s only so much top talent in Hollywood, and it’s very competitive and stretched thin because a lot of talent have deals in streaming,” says Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations. “If theatrical is going to work, you need the A-lister like Tom and Leo, and Warner Bros. is spending what they need to spend to keep this talent.”

But executives across town believe Warners’ math sometimes doesn’t add up, with the studio decried as fiscally irresponsible. The Anderson film, for instance, was greenlit with a $115 million budget, according to sources. Underscoring the gamble, none of the director’s movies has crossed $80 million at the box office. His latest, 2021’s “Licorice Pizza,” made $33 million worldwide. Even with Cruise’s star power, “Magnolia” only mustered $48.5 million. (It was De Luca, then a New Line exec, who convinced Cruise to play “Magnolia’s” misogynistic self-help guru.) The pair are said to be less pumped about another auteur’s latest: Bong Joon Ho ’s “Mickey 17.” In January, Warner Bros. pulled the $150 million Robert Pattinson sci-fi starrer from its schedule and then moved it to 2025. A Warner rep insists: “There is, of course, enthusiasm for it.”

As merger mania draws near, De Luca and Abdy seem unwilling to push back on talent asks. But apparently they did just that during the Coogler-Jordan negotiations. The director and star wanted 25% of first-dollar gross to split and two guaranteed theatrical release slots for future films. Both deal points were nixed.

Despite the pressure to acquiesce to demands from top talent, De Luca and Abdy can still say no.

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Christian bale almost made his dc movie debut years before batman begins.

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Every Upcoming DC Movie In 2024 And Beyond

The batman actor who transformed his physique most for dc movies, the dcu's new batman can break a 35-year movie trend.

• Bale almost played Superman, but as Batman, he humanized the hero in a way never done before in cinema.
• Petersen's canceled Batman vs. Superman movie could have changed the DC movie landscape in the early 2000s.
• Bale's portrayal of Batman under Nolan's direction solidified him as the perfect Caped Crusader, far better than as Superman.

Christian Bale reinvented Bruce Wayne and his caped persona for a newer generation in Batman Begins , but the Oscar-winner was very close to essaying the role of another quintessential DC hero. While Bale broke out as a child star in movies like Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun , the English actor took on challenging and diverse roles in the late 1990s and early 2000s. From playing a mild-mannered music journalist in the glam-rock classic Velvet Goldmine to the reckless namesake of American Psycho , Bale was already a critics’ heartthrob even before he was cast in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy .

The Ford vs. Ferrari star debuted as Batman in 2005’s Batman Begins, but a few years earlier, another superhero opportunity landed in his lap, but the ambitious DC movie was eventually canceled. Still, it’s all for the best that this hypothetical scenario never became a reality, for it might have prevented Bale from being cast as the Caped Crusader. When compared to other live-action Batman actors , Bale’s version stands out with his distinctly raspy Batman voice and emotionally complex psyche. The way Bale humanized Gotham City’s vigilante could have been reflected way back by another hero closely linked to Batman.

Here's every new DC movie confirmed as in development by WB for 2024 and onwards, including release dates and where they belong in the franchise.

Christian Bale Was Almost Superman Before His Batman Casting

Bale was eyed to play the man of steel in an early 2000s batman/superman movie.

The late German director Wolfgang Petersen broke out with his claustrophobic submarine-set drama Das Boot . But the two-time Oscar nominee also had a knack for helming big-budget spectacles like The NeverEnding Story and Troy . In 2003, Wolfgang Petersen was roped in to direct a Batman vs. Superman film with Christian Bale as Superman. The filmmaker revealed this behind-the-scenes detail in a 2010 interview with MTV , adding that Josh Hartnett was the second candidate to be considered to play the Kryptonian hero. Unfortunately, the project never saw the light of day and JJ Abrams had a role behind the film’s axing.

While Petersen pitched a cinematic face-off between Batman and Superman way before Zack Snyder in 2015, Warner Bros. prioritized a solo Superman movie with a new actor instead . The plan was to pick up JJ Abrams’ early script for Superman Returns . Titled Superman: Flyby , the script drastically rewrote the character’s origins, and the project was reshaped as Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns instead. Petersen gave up hope for Bale’s Superman moment but had nothing but praise for his subsequent Batman era. He even told MTV how he believed Bale’s second Batman outing, The Dark Knight, deserved an Oscar for Best Picture.

How Christian Bale's Superman Role Would've Changed DC's Movie Landscape

Batman vs superman: asylum could have spawned a dceu-like franchise.

In the early 2000s, DC only had a misfire like Catwoman and canceled projects like Tim Burton’s Superman movie to flaunt. Christopher Reeve was no longer the glorious Superman of the 80s, and Joel Schumacher had turned Batman into a comedic property in the 90s. In this context, Christian Bale’s Batman vs. Superman movie would have spawned a new interconnected franchise akin to the DCEU movies that came later . Titled Batman vs. Superman: Asylum , Petersen’s project was also driven by a dark story that would have humanized the titular heroes much like what Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight movies finally achieved.

Becoming Batman is a challenging task for any actor, but one of them had to transform his body the most to play DC's Caped Crusader in live-action.

Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman told Collider that the project eventually roped in Colin Farrell as Batman and Jude Law as Superman. The script roughly dealt with a retired Batman exacting violent revenge on the Joker and Lex Luthor for killing his wife. Believing that Batman is not a killer, Superman intervened for a more righteous solution and a face-off between the two heroes ensued. Regardless of whether Bale, Harnett, or Law played Superman, the canceled project could have made mainstream superhero cinema darker than usual, and early-to-mid-2000s DC wouldn’t have had to rely on sporadic standalone releases like Catwoman and Constantine .

When JJ Abrams' Superman: Flyby script was being considered to be made, Jude Law was still considered to play Superman before he lost interest. Brendan Fraser was also considered for the part.

Why Christian Bale Is Better As Batman Than Superman

The actor humanized batman in cinema like never before.

Christian Bale not being finalized to play Superman and Wolfgang Petersen not securing funding from Warner Bros were blessings in disguise for fans of Batman Begins . The 2005 movie allowed Bale to deliver his brooding intensity from previous roles like The Machinist and Equilibrium but as a costumed superhero this time. His grounded take on Batman also reflected Bale’s impressive knack for physically transforming himself as he beefed up significantly for the film’s combat sequences. A supporting role of Superman in an otherwise Batman-focused project like Asylum wouldn’t have established him as a bankable lead star like Batman Begins did.

The DCU’s The Brave and the Bold could counter a Batman movie trope that has appeared in every movie since 1989, offering a fresh narrative angle.

The Batman vs. Superman movie’s cancelation gave way to Bale proving how he’s the perfect Batman . Under Christopher Nolan’s deft direction and in the company of thespians like Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, Bale got more space to tap into the fragile side of the DC hero. The haunting effect of his parent’s murder, the fear of not saving Gotham, and his journey of self-discovery made Bale’s performance in Batman Begins way more human than past iterations. This fragility was only explored further in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises , showing why Bale was tailor-made to portray Batman.

Batman Begins

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• Batman Begins (2005)
• DC Extended Universe