Rihanna Cast In Leigh's Iconic Psycho Role

Pop star Rihanna is to take on the iconic role made famous by Hollywood actress Janet Leigh in the horror movie Psycho.

She will play Marion Crane in Bates Motel, the TV prequel of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic film.

The shower stabbing scene in Psycho propelled Leigh to worldwide fame when it was shown in cinemas.

Rihanna, 28, posted a video on Twitter revealing she was joining the cast of the TV show, which stars British actor Freddie Highmore as the killer Norman Bates.

The singer, who is currently on tour in Europe, said: "I'm about to check into the Bates Motel very soon and guess what else? Guess who's playing Marion?"

The makers of Bates Motel, which has been shown on the Universal Channel in the UK, say the show will end after its fifth season next year.

"We wanted to thrust the iconic role into a contemporary spotlight," the producers said at the Comic-Con fan convention in San Diego.

They added: "We also heard Rihanna was a fan, and we were huge fans of hers, so it was the perfect collision of creativity and fate."

Leigh won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in Psycho.

She died in 2004 aged 77.