Highmore

Early next year, A&E is looking to return to the world Alfred Hitchcock presented years ago and still lives on in cinematic history as Psycho will be revisited for an origins story in Bates Motel. While the drama will be entering production before the year is out, the only confirmed cast member so far is big screen darling Vera Farmiga coming onboard to portray mother Norma Bates.

But, who will be filling the shoes of Anthony Perkins as the future antagonist Norman Bates? Today, we have received that answer as a young star famous for his Finding Neverlandand Charlie & The Chocolate Factory will make his way to television to play the vital piece of the puzzle.

THR reports that Freddie Highmore has been cast as Norman Bates in the prequel series Bates Motel set to premiere sometime in Early 2013. The series surpassed the pilot stage and was ordered straight to series, greenlit by A&E for a 13 episode first season. The drama will explore the complex relationship between Highmore and Farmiga’s characters, forming a backstory of how Norman became a killer in Hitchcock’s 1960 classic.

Bates Motel was created by Lost‘s Carlton Cuse and Friday Night Lights‘ Kerry Ehrin, with Cuse telling the site ”We are incredibly excited to start production on Bates Motel. We think our take on the Bates family will both be surprising and subvert expectations. We can’t wait for people to check in.”

A&E will begin promoting the upcoming series this month during the Creative Emmy Awards with newly released teaser art. Casting is still underway for filming to begin by November