Orphan breakout star Isabelle Fuhrman is steadily carving out her place as a modern horror icon. While she’s explored a variety of genres, including the romantic drama Wish You Were Here (2025) and Kevin Costner’s epic Western Horizon: An American Saga, horror is quickly becoming the most prominent thread in her career. With her spine-chilling performance in Orphan: First Kill (2022), Fuhrman helped elevate what was once an underappreciated title into a full-fledged horror franchise. She’s set to return as the eerie Esther in the next installment, tentatively titled Orphan 3. The Lionsgate-backed project appears to be gaining momentum, with Fuhrman recently offering a promising update on the anticipated threequel.
A third Orphan film was officially greenlit in late December, with Fuhrman revealing shortly afterward that a script was already in place. The actress previously praised the screenplay as too good to pass up, sharing that the storyline was the main reason she signed on for the project. In her latest interview with ScreenRant, she expressed excitement and anticipation over stepping back into the murderous role. Fuhrman shared that production was now in the early stages, and while she still couldn’t give details of the story away, she revealed that things were definitely moving forward and teased that audiences were in for another special treat:
“It’s early stages, but it’s definitely rumbling. I just went to my first horror convention, I think it was two or three weeks ago, and it was so cool to meet so many fans of Orphan. People dressed up came from all over to see me, and to talk to me about the movie, and ask questions. For me, it feels like such a great thing to make another film for the fans, because they seem to really want it. I would love to do it, and the script that I read was fantastic. So, I hope that we get to make the movie. Everything is always in stages, takes some time, but it would be great. It would be really, really great.”
What Is ‘Orphan’ About?
The Orphan franchise centers around Fuhrman‘s Esther, a woman with a rare genetic disorder that stunts her physical growth, allowing her to convincingly pose as a young, preteen orphan. Beneath her childlike appearance, however, lies a calculating adult with a murderous streak. The original 2009 film followed Esther as she infiltrated the lives of a grieving couple desperate to adopt, while the prequel, First Kill, took audiences on a trip into her past, showing how she managed to escape from a psychiatric facility in Europe and navigate her way into America. It remains unclear which chapter of Esther’s twisted life the third film will explore. However, with First Kill screenwriter David Coggeshall returning to pen the script, audiences can likely expect another dark and creative chapter of her disturbing world.
Fuhrman remains the only confirmed cast member for Orphan 3, but more casting and production details are expected soon. As always, stay tuned for future updates.
via Collider