Psycho prequel series "Bates Motel"

[Sawyer]

Ordered Straight to Series:

A&E Orders Psycho-Inspired Bates Motel Prequel Series From Lost Boss Carlton Cuse
by Vlada Gelman

A boy’s best friend is his mother, and now A&E Network is preparing to shower us with details on exactly how Psycho‘s Norman Bates and his mama got so close.

The cable net has given a straight-to-series, 10-episode order to Bates Motel, from executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood).

The Psycho prequel drama is a contemporary exploration of Norman Bates’ formative years; his relationship with his mother, Norma; and the world they inhabit. The dark, twisted backstory will reveal how Norma helped to create the famous serial killer.

“We are proud to be partnering with Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin on their thrilling reinvention of one of the most compelling characters in cinematic history,” A&E Network president Bob DeBitetto and EVP of programming David McKillop said in a statement announcing the news. “It’s a provocative project from two of the best storytellers in the business, and we’re looking forward to getting started.”

Bates Motel is slated to premiere in 2013.

I could've sworn there was already a thread for this, but it was nowhere to be found on the search. If there was one already, just bump it and go ahead and get rid of this one.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Cuse is involved? Okay, this has assuanged me.

 

[Sawyer]

I'm actually quite impressed by both writers they've got on board. The co-showrunners of one of my all time favorite series, and one of the writers behind two of the most underappreciated dramas of the past decade? They've got my attention.

I just don't know how they intend to pull off the concept in the form of a series. I mean, I suppose the same could be said for Hannibal, but I think there's more to draw from there.

 

[Shifty]

Just some discussion in the Pilot Season thread when it was first announced in the works.

Writers have me interested but will need to see more, none of A&E's original drams have interested me.

 

[Sawyer]

I'm throwing this name out there for Norman Bates: Sebastian Stan

Though, if USA takes a liking to Political Animals and decides to make it into a regular series, that would sufficiently eliminate him as a possibility, so who knows...

 

[DyeLorean]

I'm interested!.

 

[Majik1387]

No one from Lost should be involved in anything Hitchcock related. But Ehrin's involvement is a positive.

 

[Sawyer]

No one from Lost should be involved in anything Hitchcock related. But Ehrin's involvement is a positive.

 

[Majik1387]

Roll your eyes all you want, Lindelof was one of the worst things to happen to Prometheus, and Carlton Cuse is not someone to brag about.

 

[Sawyer]

God, if I have to sit through another person pissing and moaning about Prometheus.

 

[Majik1387]

I'm not gonna piss and moan about it, I gave it a 7 or 8 out of 10, because the weakest point was clearly when the writing by Lindelof kicked in.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Didn't they already try this?

 

[Sawyer]

Didn't they already try this?

They've done both a prequel and a pilot for a TV series. The TV pilot had some inmate that interacted with Bates inheriting the motel from him.

 

[Sawyer]

Deadline:

Vera Farmiga To Star In A&E’s ‘Psycho’ Prequel Series ‘Bates Motel’ As Norma Bates
By NELLIE ANDREEVA

In her return to television, Vera Farmiga is set for the plum female lead in A&E’s upcoming series Bates Motel, which serves as a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock horror classic Psycho and examines the twisted relationship between serial killer-to-be Norman Bates and his mother Norma. Farmiga will play Norma Louise Bates who is described as passionate, and compelling, a smart, multidimensional character who is always capable of surprising us. The Universal TV-produced Bates Motel has a 10-episode straight-to-series order for a 2013 premiere. Former Lost co-showrunner Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin (Parenthood) serve as writers-executive producers. “We are delighted to welcome Vera Farmiga to Bates Motel,” Cuse said. “She is a phenomenal talent who has demonstrated incredible range and intelligence in a number of landmark film roles, and we couldn’t be more excited to have her join our project.”

Bates Motel had been developed as a miniseries when A&E bought it in January. When Cuse and Ehrin boarded the project two months later, they reworked it as a series and wrote several scripts. That prompted A&E’s July decision to forgo a pilot and go straight to series. Farmiga co-starred on several series, including NBC’s UC: Undercover and USA’s Touching Evil, and in the HBO telefilm Iron Jawed Angels before breaking out in features. She was nominated for an Oscar for Up In The Air and also starred in the Oscar-winning The Departed.

 

[Shifty]

Well they've seen what Bryan Cranston has done with Walter White's transformation now they can do it with Norman Bates.

 

[Lasirius]

Interested in this.

 

[Majik1387]

Very nice casting.

 

[jonathancrane]

Should be good.

 

[Crockett]

Nice! I've been skeptic to this at first despite Cuse's involvement, I wondered if there was enough interesting ideas they could tell in in form of a series but Farmiga's an real talented actress and gives me just the extra boost of faith that this might be special and worth to keep an eye on.

 

[Marx]

I'm very interested in this one.

 

[Sawyer]

I was thinking Sebastian Stan for Norman, but I'm starting to think he might be too old for what they're going for.

 

[Shifty]

Vera is 39 and they may age her up a bit. Its going to be someone in their early 20s who may play Norman at 18-20.

A&E's other original dramas have debuted in the first week of June, so with them just casting now it probably won't premiere until mid-March, eventually up against Game of Thrones and Mad Men.

 

[enterthemadness]

God, if I have to sit through another person pissing and moaning about Prometheus.

It left me underwhelmed, but I liked it.

...

Course I'm a Predator faaaaaaan, sooo...

 

[terry78]

Yeah, Farminga does kind of have that slightly "I could be kind of creepy" vibe to her.

 

[Asgard]

What would you think about Haley Joel Osment playing Norman?