Sorry, Austin Butler lovers, but American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis says the Dune actor’s casting in the new movie is “fake news”

Despite previous reports, it’s sounding like Austin Butler taking on the role of Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino’s American Psycho is just “fake news.”

Last month, it was reported that Dune and Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure actor Austin Butler would be portraying American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman in a new adaptation from Challengers director Luca Guadagnino. The character is obviously quite iconic these days thanks to Christian Bale’s performance in the 2000 original, but Butler’s hypothetical casting certainly would have allowed for quite a different take. Except, speaking on a recent episode of his own podcast, Bret Easton Ellis, original author of the book American Psycho is based on, said that he believes Butler’s casting hasn’t actually taken place (thanks, Bloody Disgusting).

“I have a feeling it’s fake news,” Easton Ellis shared. “I heard somewhere, from someone, that there are no contracts. Austin Butler hasn’t signed anything to play Patrick Bateman. Luca doesn’t have a deal. Scott Burns, who is supposed to write the screenplay, doesn’t have a deal either.” The author continued, “From various sources that I have, this is just fake news that was put out there to see how an audience is going to react. If it does exist, I am not involved. I have nothing to do with this. I might get some money if they do this, but I am not involved creatively on any level, and that is all I know.”

Industry insider Jeff Sneider corroborated Easton Ellis’ claims, saying that the “American Psycho announcement was more about making Lionsgate look a little bit more attractive on paper as an acquisition target than it was about an actual movie that’s going to happen.” A report last month claimed that Lionsgate is currently up for sale, so perhaps the Butler report really was to just get a buyer interested. Either way, if this film does end up happening, it has a lot of work to do to be as good as the original.