The Orphan saga continues. Republic Pictures has picked up U.S. rights to Orphans, the latest prequel in the franchise, from Dark Castle Entertainment, with production set to wrap soon in Budapest.

The film dives even deeper into the twisted origin of Esther, with Isabelle Fuhrman, now 28, returning to portray a younger version of the murderous child. Like Orphan: First Kill, the effect will rely on a mix of makeup, forced perspective, and body doubles to capture the chilling illusion of her youth.

William Brent Bell (Orphan: First Kill, The Boy) directs, with a script by David Coggeshall (Orphan: First Kill, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia). Joining Fuhrman are Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Susanne Wuest (Goodnight Mommy), and Simon Man (Westworld).

Dark Castle’s Norman Golightly produces alongside Alex Mace of Gnosis Films and original Orphan writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Fuhrman also steps in as executive producer, joined by Kelly Gallagher and Victor Moyers.

Golightly teased fans: “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.”

Sejin Croninger, EVP of Worldwide Acquisitions at Paramount, added: “Dark Castle has built an iconic series, and this new installment expands that world in bold and unexpected ways.”

For context, the original Orphan (2009) pulled in nearly $78 million worldwide, introducing audiences to a seemingly innocent 9-year-old with a deadly secret. Orphan: First Kill (2022) earned $37 million, chronicling Esther’s escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility and her deadly impersonation of a wealthy family’s missing daughter.

With Orphans, the franchise promises to plunge fans even further into Esther’s dark, twisted beginnings.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 𝘐 𝘚 𝘈 𝘉 𝘌 𝘓 𝘓 𝘌 ✨ 𝘍 𝘜 𝘏 𝘙 𝘔 𝘈 𝘕 (@isabellefuhrman)