Bates Motel Casts Rihanna As Marion Crane In Final Season

Bates Motel is entering its fifth season, which will be the show’s last, and it doesn’t plan on going out quietly.

The A&E series has added some star power in the form of Rihanna, who will play the star of the original Psyco, Marion Crane (via Deadline). The part originally played by Janet Leigh, who in the 1960 film looked at the vacancy sign as a safe haven, only to have it be her final stop.

Executive Producers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin addressed the casting.

“We wanted to thrust the iconic role into a contemporary spotlight and redefine it in a meaningful and exciting new way. We also heard Rihanna was a fan of the show, and we were huge fans of hers, so it was the perfect collision of creativity and fate.”

While the character ultimately meets her end in the previous telling of the story, it doesn’t mean she will here. Even if she does, I imagine there will be a few new wrinkles in Cuse and Ehrin’s version.

While she did, in fact, die in the season four finale, Vera Farmiga will return as an Executive Producer, but also in the part of Norma Bates. Whether that is in flashbacks or as a result of Norman’s (played by Freddie Highmore) developing psychosis, we don’t yet know.

Bates Motel returns to A&E later this year.