Orphan 3 Is Now in Development, Director William Brent Bell Confirms

Summary

• Director William Brent Bell is actively developing a third movie in the Orphan franchise, with the rulebook now open to any possibilities.
• Isabelle Fuhrman, who starred in the first two films, has had conversations about returning for a third installment and would love the opportunity if the script is good.
• Orphan: First Kill, released in 2022, is a prequel to the original movie and explores Esther’s early years as she impersonates the missing daughter of a wealthy family.

The director behind last year’s horror sequel Orphan: First Kill, William Brent Bell, has revealed a third movie in the franchise is now in the works. Bell, who most recently helmed the horror outing Lord of Misrule, revealed that he is now actively developing a third movie in the Orphan series, with the filmmaker declaring that the “franchise’s rulebook has been opened up” and that anything is now possible (via THR).

“We’re developing a third one now. The franchise’s rulebook has been opened up to where anything is possible. And knowing where we are in the process already, I’m extremely excited about the twists and turns that we have in store.”

While further details remain unknown at this time, is it likely that Isabelle Fuhrman will return as Esther, with the recent sequel using body doubles, costuming, and some CGI to make the now 26-year-old actress look like a 33-year-old woman pretending to be a 12-year-old again.

Orphan star Isabelle Fuhrman revealed in August last year that discussions had begun regarding Orphan 3. Speaking with Variety, Fuhrman reveals that she has already had conversations over a further adventure for Esther with producer Alex Mace, and states that she would love to return for more. Sooner rather than later.

“I don’t know. I do know that [producer Alex Mace] has already talked to me about doing a third one. And if the script is good, and people love this one, why not? I would love to do that. I don’t think we’re gonna have to wait 13 years because I don’t think it’s gonna be possible in 13 years. When you’re in your 20s you can still look like younger if you get on a little stool chair, or have children play you from multiple angles. But I would love the opportunity if it came up. I wouldn’t say no.”

RELATED: Orphan: First Kill: Breaking Down that Big Twist

Orphan: First Kill Explores Esther’s Early Years

Orphan: First Kill

A prequel to the 2009 movie Orphan.

Release Date August 19, 2022

Rating R

Writers David Coggeshall , David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick , Alex Mace

Fuhrman is far from the only one with Orphan 3 on the brain, with Orphan: First Kill director William Brent Bell previously revealing to MovieWeb’s own Tim Kraft that he had high hopes of completing the Orphan trilogy.

“I think a franchise is three movies, is how you can tell maybe a full story, and you can always continue after that,” the filmmaker said to MovieWeb earlier this month. “But I feel a trilogy can tell a full story… with this story, we get to see a different side to her [Esther], but we still don’t know much about the years before… and so, there’s a lot of story there, to me and everybody. We kind of played around and talked about a lot of ideas as we were making the movie, with Isabelle especially. If we can pull this movie off — and Isabelle is so passionate about the character — it’s like, you can play this character forever if you wanted to, if we can do it in this movie… there’s a lot to that character, and I think in the future stories, she would probably become a bit more cold-hearted again.”

Released last year, Orphan: First Kill follows Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther, who is now living under the name Leena Klammer. The horror begins when she orchestrates a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility and travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of the wealthy couple Katie and Richard Mauerova. But Leena’s new life comes with an unexpected wrinkle when Katie becomes convinced that she isn’t her daughter, while Richard disagrees, believing that his wife is suffering from paranoia and hallucinating. Leena tries to separate them, causing some major problems and pitting her against a mother who will protect her family at any cost.

Directed by William Brent Bell and written by David Coggeshall, and starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, Matthew Finlan, and Morgan Giraudet, Orphan: First Kill was released on August 19, 2022 by Paramount Players in select theaters, digital, and via streaming on Paramount+.

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