Vera Farmiga has landed a leading role on A&E’s upcoming Psycho prequel television series, Bates Motel. She’ll play Norma Louise Bates, the mother of Norman Bates in the small screen project, officially described as follows:
Bates Motel gives viewers an intimate understanding of how Norman Bates’ psyche developed from his childhood through his teen years. Fans will have access to the dark, twisted backstory and learn first hand how his mother, Norma, and her love damaged Norman, helped forge the most well-known serial killing motel owner in history.
Norma Bates was originally voiced by Virginia Gregg, Jeanette Nolan, and Paul Jasmin in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 original film. Gregg reprised the voice role for Psycho II and Pyscho III and in Psycho IV: The Beginning (which covered much of the same territory as the upcoming series) Olivia Hussey became the first (and, until now, only) actress to take on the full role. While there’s no official confirmation either way, it’s likely that the events of any of the Psycho sequels will not be considered canonical in regard to the new series, especially as some of the films are not even canonical in regard to one another.
Farmiga, the first cast member to be announced, appeared earlier this year in Goats and Safe House. She can soon be seen in the 2013 horror project, The Conjuring.
“Bates Motel” is produced by Universal Television for A&E Network. The script was written by Anthony Ciprian
