Paul Schrader is not mincing words when it comes to his feelings about the forthcoming television adaptation of his film American Gigolo.
Schrader wrote and directed the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced crime movie from 1980 that featured Richard Gere as sex worker Julian Kay and Lauren Hutton as the wife of a politician. After Showtime released the first trailer earlier this week for the drama series of the same name that stars Jon Bernthal and Gretchen Mol, Schrader took to Facebook on Saturday to make it clear he is not involved in the show.
“Some years ago I received a call from Paramount asking about remaking American Gigolo as a series,” posted Schrader, whose credits include the screenplay for Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film Taxi Driver. “I replied that I thought it was a terrible idea — times had changed, internet porn had redefined male sex work, viruses, etc. I couldn’t imagine Julian Kay working a Hen Party. (Scorsese and I had fought off similar attempts to redo Taxi Driver for years.) I thought that was the end of it.”
He continued, “Then came another call saying Jerry Bruckheimer and Paramount had the rights to redo AG without my consent. I said I would think about how such a show could be structured. No, the caller explained, they did not want my involvement. Here were my options: (1) take $50G and not be involved (2) take $0 and not be involved (3) threaten an expensive and futile lawsuit and not be involved. I took the $50G.”
Schrader went on to say that he had not seen the trailer but called himself a fan of Bernthal’s and said he also wishes the best for Mol, whom he directed in the 1999 film Forever Mine.
“I don’t plan to watch the Showtime series,” he concluded. “I don’t think I could be objective about it and, even if I could, it’s too much agita.”
Representatives for Showtime did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The trailer is below for the series that does not yet have a premiere date.
