CALIFORNIA, United States, Wednesday July 27, 2016 – Barbados’ pop princess Rihanna seems to be dying to take a stab at her forthcoming role as the doomed Marion Crane in the fifth and final season of the hit series Bates Motel.
The multiple Grammy-winning singer made the announcement via a video message during Comic-Con in San Diego, and although she didn’t attend the TV and movie convention in person, she became the centre of attention with the unexpected news.
The 28-year-old star revealed that she is going to have a recurring role in the final season of Bates Motel, the popular prequel to the horrific events portrayed in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 spine-chiller Psycho.
According to the Work singer, she will take on Janet Leigh’s iconic role as the victim of one of the most terrifying murders in the history of cinema.
“So all you Comic-Con fans, all you Bates Motel fans, stay tuned!” she said in the video.During the show’s press conference at San Diego Comic-Con, executive producers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin confirmed the singer’s news.
“We wanted to thrust the iconic role [of Marion Crane] into a contemporary spotlight and redefine it in a meaningful and exciting new way,” they said. “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,” the producers added.
The hit television series delves into the backstory of the original cult classic, and centres around the teenage years of Norman Bates, portrayed to tormented perfection by Anthony Perkins in the 1960 version, and currently played by Freddie Highmore.
The series explores the time Norman spent with his mother Norma, played by Vera Farmiga, prior to the period depicted in Hitchcock’s classic suspense drama. There is no word yet on whether the TV show will try to recreate Marion’s brutal slaying in the shower of her room at the Bates Motel.
Rihanna will join cast members Nestor Carbonell, Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore and Max Thieriot in the final series.