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Rihanna Checks Into ‘Bates Motel’ As Iconic ‘Psycho’ Character Marion Crane

By Cia Young
Published on: 18:59 PST, Mar 18, 2017

On Monday night, fans of the A&E television series and Psycho prologue Bates Motel will get their first glimpse of Rihanna as Marion Crane, the iconic character from the 1960 film. Viewers familiar with Psycho are likely wondering if Rihanna’s Marion will meet the same fate as her Psycho predecessor but anything can happen in a series that has introduced original characters and story lines unique to the universe of Alfred Hitchcock’s film.

Hitchcock’s Psycho was considered a novelty at the time of its release. This was evident when Hitchcock, the movie’s director, tried desperately to prevents spoilers about the movie’s twists and turns from getting out by whatever means necessary.

According to Cinema Blend, a poster featuring an image of the Hitchcock was displayed in each theater airing the film to ensure the “movie was seen exactly how it was meant to be presented…” with the following warning.

“The manager of this theatre has been instructed, at the risk of his life, not to admit to the theatre any persons after the picture starts… Any spurious attempts to enter by side doors, fire escapes, or ventilating shafts will be met by force… The entire objective of this extraordinary policy, of course, is to help you enjoy Psycho more.

In the film Psycho, Marion was played by Janet Leigh, who ended up at the motel helmed by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) after running away with thousands of dollars she was supposed to deposit in the bank for her boss. After Marion goes missing, her boyfriend, divorced hardware store owner, Sam Loomis (John Gavin) goes on the hunt for her.

The TV series Bates Motel has already set the groundwork for Rihanna’s version of Marion and the character of Sam (Austin Nichols) but with a twist. In the show, Sam is a married man who is stepping out on his wife, Madeline Loomis (Isabelle McNally), who senses her marriage is in disarray and sees modern day Norman (Freddy Highmore) as a shoulder to lean on. Norman is desperately attracted to Madeline due to her uncanny resemblance to Norman’s deceased mother, Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga).

Rihanna as Marion Crane on Bates Motel
[Image by A&E]

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the fifth and final season of Bates Motel introduces Rihanna’s Marion Monday night in the first of a two-part episode. The first is called “Dreams Die First,” and the concluding episode airing on March 27 is entitled “Marion.”

The synopsis of “Dreams Die First” notes that similar to the film, Marion is Sam’s love interest. Marion apparently makes an impulsive decision, which indicates Rihanna’s character may be “stealing from her boss” similar to what took place in Psycho, the Christian Post reports.

The synopsis notes Marion’s actions will not be without consequence, leading one to wonder if modern day Marion will meet the same gruesome fate as her 1960s counterpart did at the hands of Mother in a Bates Motel shower.

Rihanna seems to be game for whatever Bates Motel producers decide to do to Marion, as she was recruited to play the character after publicly stating during a 2015 interview that she loved the show, Entertainment Weekly reports. Initially, producers thought the singer might be hesitant to play Marion because the role is part of a major arc that takes place in the final season, but she was pumped about the prospect.

Bates Motel Executive Producer Kerry Ehrin told Entertainment Weekly that Rihanna was “incredibly excited” about playing Marion. He added that when Rihanna showed up to the set in November to shoot her scenes, the atmosphere was “jacked up.”

Ehrin also commented about whether the infamous Psycho shower scene might take place, telling Entertainment Weekly, “All I can tell you is that we pulled Psycho into Bates Motel, not vice-versa. That was always the goal and the fun of it. You will have to watch and find out!” He also said that the show and Hitchcock’s film are “Two different versions of the same story…” that “…collide in a really explosive way” in the final season.

Freddie Highmore as Norman Bates in Bates Motel
[Image by A&E]

The much anticipated Bates Motel multi-episodes featuring Rihanna begin Monday at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on A&E with “Dreams Die First,” followed by “Marion” on March 27.

[Featured Image by A&E]

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