The fact that we received a prequel to the 2009 thriller Orphan in 2022 was mind-boggling – especially since the surprisingly entertaining Orphan: First Kill still starred Isabelle Fuhrman as Leena Klammer / Esther, an adult serial killer from Estonia who is able to pass herself off as a 9 year old kid. Looking 9 was easy for Fuhrman when she made the first movie, because she was a child at the time… but now she’s an adult, and the filmmakers had to try to figure out how to make her look like a kid again for the prequel. It worked well enough, and the movie went over well enough with viewers (you can read our review HERE), that we soon started hearing rumblings of an Orphan 3. Last November, Lionsgate officially announced that they had given the new sequel a greenlight – and now, filming is almost complete on the new movie, which is going by the title Orphans! Deadline reports that Republic Pictures has picked up the U.S. rights to the film.
This sequel is coming our way from the Orphan: First Kill team of director William Brent Bell and writer David Coggeshall. Details on the new film have not been revealed, but we know for sure that Fuhrman is back as Esther again, and she is joined in the cast by Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Susanne Wuest (Goodnight Mommy), and Simon Man (Westworld).
Deadline lets us know that Orphans is produced and financed by Dark Castle, with Lionsgate representing international rights. Republic Pictures now holds U.S. rights to the film and Sejin Croninger, EVP, Worldwide Acquisitions, Paramount Pictures brokered the deal with Dark Castle’s Norman Golightly. Golightly produces alongside Alex Mace of Gnosis Films and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Fuhrman and Bell serve as executive producers with Kelly Gallagher and Victor Moyers. The co-producers are Robert Bell, Josh Ethier, and Hero Squared’s Jonathan Halperyn and Daniel Kresmery, who are overseeing the production in Budapest.
Golightly provided the following statement: “Surrounding Isabelle with Stephen, Simon, and Susanne will deliciously add to the twists, turns, and kills that Orphan fans have come to love and expect from the franchise.” Croninger added, “We’re thrilled to bring the next chapter of the Orphan franchise to audiences across the U.S. Dark Castle has built an iconic series and this new installment expands that world in bold and unexpected ways.“
A while back, Fuhrman told our friends at Bloody Disgusting that Orphan 3 will have “wilder and crazier” twists than the other films. When she was asked if it would be another prequel or a sequel, she said it’s both a prequel and a sequel! She described it as an “inbetweenquel.”
The history of Republic Pictures stretches back to the 1930s – but the version of the company that I was familiar with in my youth was involved with movies like Beastmaster 2, Night of the Demons 2, The Babysitter, Malicious, Rumpelstiltskin, Night of the Scarecrow, Freeway, and Amityville Dollhouse. That eagle logo will always hold a place in my heart because of my memories of renting those movies on VHS.
Are you glad to hear that Orphans is moving along and that Republic Pictures has secured the U.S. rights? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
