Orphan is coming back. According to Variety, a third installment in the horror movie series has been announced by Lionsgate. Isabelle Fuhrman, who played the role of Esther (aka Leena Klammer) in the first chapter of the franchise more than a decade ago, will return to the series after the character’s origin was shown in the recent Orphan: First Kill. The filmmaker responsible for the sequel that came out a couple of years ago will return for the upcoming project as William Brent Bell has signed on to direct the third Orphan film.
The Orphan franchise is centered around Leena Klammer, an older woman with a genetic disorder that gives her the appearance of a young girl. In the first film, Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John Coleman (Peter Sarsgaard) are introduced as a couple who are struggling in their marriage after losing a child. Their solution was to adopt the seemingly innocent Esther. But Klammer’s identity would eventually be revealed, as Leena’s typical serial killer plan to seduce the father and kill the mother goes sideways and sets her on a collision course with Farmiga’s final girl.
Orphan earned $78 million at the global box office. While the character went undisturbed for more than a decade, the current streaming landscape pushed Paramount+ to look for stories to expand upon. Orphan: First Kill went back in time to show audiences how the killer came up with her plan to pretend to be a young girl. Julia Stiles and Rossif Sutherland starred in the prequel. The title allowed Brent Bell and David Coggeshall to become acquainted with the character and her world. It remains to be seen if the upcoming movie will be released in theaters, or if the Orphan franchise will once again be headed to Paramount+.
The Cast of the ‘Orphan’ Franchise
Only Isabelle Fuhrman has been confirmed to return when it comes to the cast of the third Orphan movie. However, the franchise has seen a wide variety of talented performers interact with Leena over the years. Vera Farmiga starred as the woman who adopted Esther in the first movie, years before she became a horror icon thanks to her work as Lorraine Warren in the Conjuring franchise. Of course, Orphan wouldn’t have had such a lasting impact without famous character actor Margo Martindale. Only time will tell if any familiar faces will join Fuhrman or if the next installment will feature another mostly new cast once more details about the third Orphan story are revealed.
A release date for the third Orphan movie hasn’t been set by Lionsgate. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates. Both of the first two Orphan movies are available to stream on Paramount+.
via Collider