A&E devloping Psycho prequel series

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, Robert Bloch deserves a lot more credit than he ever got. It's a shame, but pretty normal (except for movies that are adapted from "blockbuster" novels where they exploit the connection for publicity).

Anyway, I just found out about this Psycho series and I have mixed feelings. I certainly like the fact that it is (or seems to be) an expansion of the Psycho mythos rather than a re-make, re-imagining, re-boot or other kind of regurgitation. I wonder if it will really be (or even can be) consistent with the backstory in Psycho IV. The biggest problem is that they must re-cast Norman. Norman Bates is one of my all-time favorite characters and I have a really hard time with the re-casting of iconic screen characters; this is one of those cases where the actor really made the character. I know we had another actor playing young Norman in IV, but that was mitigated by having the "aging bad seed" himself present.

I guess I'll give it a try when it appears. There's no way I can resist that spooky motel and mansion-- to me that place is as iconic as Kong Island or the Black Lagoon. But they'll have a hard time pleasing me.

[Harvey]

There's no need to be consistent with Psycho IV. That movie -- like all of sequels to the original, really -- was mediocre at best. If they want to spend time being "in continuity" with something, they should just stick to the 1960 film.

[Temis the Vorta]

Spock is my favorite character of all time, and I accepted the recasting. Granted, the stars aligned so perfectly for that, it's still a bit surreal. What are the odds there would be an actor just the right age, looks, persona and talent for any given role?

[RJDiogenes]

^^ One thing nuTrek got right was the casting, which was pretty amazing. Another good example was River Phoenix as young Indy in Last Crusade. So it's not impossible-- just unlikely.

Harvey wrote:

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There's no need to be consistent with Psycho IV. That movie -- like all of sequels to the original, really -- was mediocre at best. If they want to spend time being "in continuity" with something, they should just stick to the 1960 film.

Actually, Psycho II was excellent. The other two were mediocre, but entertaining. But you're probably right that they will stick with the original-- at best, because that would mean setting the show in the 40s or 50s, and it remains to be seen if that will be the case.

[Harvey]

I've seen Psycho II and it could hardly be called an "excellent" film. At best, it's okay, perhaps slightly better than the next two films in the series because of Vera Miles. All the sequel films really have going for them, of course, is that they talked Anthony Perkins into returning as Norman Bates. That was enough for me to watch all of them -- once -- but I can't imagine I'll waste time revisiting any of them.

[RJDiogenes]

Oh, well. I liked II a lot. The focus was entirely on the character of Norman, and the plot successfully turned the tables and made him the sympathetic victim. I thought it was well written and directed.

[Enterprise is Great]

Freddie Highmore cast as Norman Bates

[Enterprise is Great]

Norman's getting a brother:

http://tvline.com/2012/09/14/bates-m...ddie-highmore/

Executive producer Carlton Cuse (Lost) later announced on Twitter that Max Thieriot (The Pacifier) has been cast as Norma Bates’ other son, Dylan, adding: “Max is a phenomenal, smart and magnetic actor.”

[Temis the Vorta]

Norman has a brother?

I guess thimgs didn't turn out so well for him. I wonder if he ended up in the swamp...

[RJDiogenes]

An "original, multi-layered" take. In other words, a re-imagining. There's nothing in the original body of work to indicate that Norman didn't have a brother, but it sure seems unlikely.

Maybe Dylan Bates will be a folk-singing serial killer.

"How many girls must a man stab to death, before you call him a psycho...?"

[jefferiestubes8]

A&E has unveiled the first bit of teaser art for Bates Motel, its upcoming Psycho prequel.

a poster only.

Described as Twin Peaks meets Smallville, Bates Motel is gearing up for a 2013 debut. [THR via Coming Soon]

The cable network has reimagined the haunting hotel sign for its upcoming series exploring Norman Bates' formative years.

source and poster here
I will still want to check this out. On cable I think this will offer them the time to play out the suspense and character development ala Mad Men style. Is this to be set in the 1950s?

[Dorian Thompson]

Call me crazy, but this could actually be done well--with the right direction, casting, writing. Who would have thought that a series about a chemistry teacher cooking meth or a protagonist serial killer could be successful? They were.

With the proper time to develop characters--it might work. Maybe. Of course it could be a disaster, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Then I'm a completely psychotic and morbid person.

[Temis the Vorta]

That name, Dylan, didn't sit right with me, assuming they're being true to the time period and the character would have been born, what, in the 1930s?

Then it hit me, people started to name their kids Dylan because of Bob Dylan (and therefore indirectly, Dylan Thomas). And sure enough, the name dates only from 1966 in America.

Hmm. Time travel?

[Dorian Thompson]

That's true. It does ring a bit odd for the 1950s. It would be like having a female character named Madison or Taylor set in the 50s. You never heard the name Madison for girl until the early 80s after the movie Splash came out, and Taylor didn't come into prominence for girls until the 1980s either.

To this day, I HATE the name Taylor for a girl because it evokes the wholly masculine image of Charlton Heston running around in a loin cloth in Planet of the Apes. Taylor the astronaut/human ape.

[Admiral James Kirk]

Harvey wrote:

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There's no need to be consistent with Psycho IV. That movie -- like all of sequels to the original, really -- was mediocre at best.

Psycho II was a fine sequel and a top notch thriller in it's own right. Nothing mediocre about it whatsoever. Psycho IV was a poor movie though I don't blame Anthony Perkins, Joe Stefano or Olivia Hussey. I put it all on Universal hiring noted hack Mick Garris. Garris couldn't direct his way out of a 7-Eleven parking lot much way a prequel to a Hitchcock classic.