(Video link) Well, color me optimistic. I really wasn't sure about A&E making a "prequel show" to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, but now I'm wondering if it's better to keep an open mind. Because these two teaser trailers are delightfully spooky, with tiny, amuse-bouche amounts of suspense packed into about 15 seconds each. Enough to pique my interest, at least, but I'll let you decide for yourself. The second teaser is after the jump.

Teaser #2 (video link):

Feels the tiniest bit like both teasers are trying to capture the attention of the American Horror Story audience, but I'll cop to being interested in the story of the young Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) and Mother (Vera Farmiga). I mean, what happened to that kid, anyway?

(via Bleeding Cool)

I suppose the other news is that yes, this Psycho series is actually still happening, despite no one really asking for it. But while it's never encouraging news to hear that someone is trying to capitalize on a classic horror movie by turning it into a TV show about already-existing characters (because that's generally known as "fan fiction"), at least it's coming from interesting people. Notably, the executive producer and writer of Lost, Carlton Cuse. Nothing "run of the mill" is coming from Carlton Cuse. And this show, Bates Motel, is promising a Twin Peaks-level of weirdness and mystery for the story that will tell us what Norma Bates did to her son that turned him into such a demented person. I'm not going to lie -- that sounds pretty interesting. A&E clearly agreed when they picked the whole thing up for series right off the bat.

Farmiga's Norma is being described as "a complicated, passionate and compelling woman who's a smart, multidimensional character always capable of surprising people." Probably not with cupcakes. But she sounds delightful! Maybe, in the end, Norman was just a brat.

Vera Farmiga to star in A&E's 'Psycho' Prequel 'Bates Motel' [The Hollywood Reporter]