When news hit last year that Rihanna would be starring in the fifth and final season of Bates Motel, we had no idea what to expect. Then, A&E announced that she would be playing the iconic role of Marion Crane, a role that Janet Leigh made legend in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film, Psycho.
Set in the 21st century Bates Motel, which is the prequel to Psycho, Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and his mother Norma (Vera Farmiga) live together. In the original film, we know that Marion steals her bosses money and escapes to the motel only to be murdered by Norman Bates in one of the most iconic horror scenes of all time.
So will Rihanna’s Marion meet that same horrible fate? The writers over at Bates Motel are free to take as many liberties as they won’t so we might not see RiRi getting stabbed to death in the show. Executive Producer Kerry Ehrin said of the upcoming season, “[Norman’s] in a very fragile and lonely place, and Marion Crane is a charismatic woman, she’s super present when she’s with him and she’s very attractive — all those things are exactly what he needs right at this moment.”
Executive producers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin talked about the role at Comic-Con last year saying, “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.”
Rihanna’s Marion will have a multi-episode arc and her interactions with Norman Bates should be extremely interesting considering the very dark place he’s found himself in.
Check out Rihanna as Marion Crane in the season five teaser below.
Bates Motel returns Monday, Feb. 20th.
