'Bates Motel' season 5 cast, plot spoilers news: Rihanna joins as Marion Crane; series will end with season 5

Rihanna is taking on the iconic role of Marion Crane in the highly anticipated fifth and final season of A&E's "Bates Motel."

The singer/actress's casting was announced on Friday, July 22, at the "Bates Motel" panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

The role of Marion Crane was popularized by actress Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film "Pyscho," on which "Bates Motel" is based.

In the film, Marion checked into the Bates Motel, where she was stabbed to death by Norman — in his "Mother" persona — as she was taking a shower in Room 1.

"Let me tell you what a bad b— is about to do," Rihanna announced in a video played during the show's Comic-Con panel. "I'm about to check into the Bates Motel very soon."

"We wanted to thrust the iconic role into a contemporary spotlight and redefine it in a meaningful and exciting new way," "Bates Motel" executive producers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin said in a statement. "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."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the singer's casting came after she revealed that she was a big fan of "Bates Motel" in a Vanity Fair interview.

Prior to her casting in "Bates Motel," which marks her biggest scripted acting role yet, Rihanna starred in the board game adaptation "Battleship" (2012) and in the comedy film "This Is the End" (2013).

In May, Cuse and Ehrin spoke to TVLine about what's coming in season 5. The "Bates Motel" bosses explained that while Norma (Vera Farmiga) died at the end of season 4, Farmiga is definitely coming back for season 5. Cuse emphasized that the actress is still very much a part of the show but will be playing a "slightly modified" role.

Ehrin explained the need to kill off Norma and what her death means for the show's final season, saying, "The obsessive love of Norma is what the show is going to be based on."

According to Ehrin, Norman's (Freddie Highmore) relationship with his deceased mother will be "hugely important" in season 5, adding, "It's the heart of what drives it."

A&E has not announced the official premiere date for "Bates Motel" season 5.