Finally, Some Good News: Orphan 3 Is Actually Happening

There's something wrong with Esther ... again! In the biggest "hell yeah" news of the day, Variety is reporting that a third film in the "Orphan" franchise is on the way, and Isabelle Fuhrman will once again play Esther, everyone's favorite killer "kid." Fuhrman made her Esther debut in Jaume Collet-Serra's delightfully lurid 2009 horror-thriller "Orphan," about a couple (played by scream queen Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard) who adopt a 9-year-old girl from Russia. The child, Esther, seems polite and sweet ... at first. Eventually, the audience sees that Esther is a full-blown psycho, willing to kill anyone who gets in her way. But this was no mere "killer kid" horror movie, folks! In a whopper of a twist, it's revealed that Esther is actually Leena Klammer, a woman in her 30s who only appears to be a child due to hypopituitarism. 

The end of "Orphan" saw Esther/Leena defeated and killed, but 13 years later, she returned in the prequel movie "Orphan: First Kill." Rather than recast the role with an age-appropriate performer, Fuhrman played Esther yet again, which was kind of mind-boggling since the actress, who was 12 when the first movie was released, was now 25. Using some trick photography and a little behind-the-scenes sleight of hand that included Fuhrman walking around on her knees, "Orphan: First Kill" did a pretty convincing job making it appear that Fuhrman was still a child (or rather, an adult posing as a child ... which makes sense, since that's exactly what she was).

Now, Esther is coming back for a new movie. How? Who knows! Why? Why not?

The Variety report reveals that "Orphan: First Kill" writer David Coggeshall will tackle the script for "Orphan 3," while "Orphan: First Kill" helmer William Brent Bell (who also directed the "Boy" movies) is back as director. Bell actually revealed a third movie was in the works back in 2023, and now, it's officially happening. The biggest question surrounding this announcement is just where in the timeline this new movie will take place. Since Esther died at the end of "Orphan," this new movie would logically have to be another prequel, like "Orphan: First Kill." Then again, perhaps this new movie will reveal Esther somehow miraculously survived her death in the first movie. And why not? Part of the fun of this series is its unpredictability: both "Orphan" and "Orphan: First Kill" had big, over-the-top twists up their sleeves. 

I'm a huge fan of the original "Orphan," which is both highly stylish and unapologetically trashy. And I was pleasantly surprised with "Orphan: First Kill" — I missed Jaume Collet-Serra's slick directorial skills, but felt that Bell and Coggeshall did a good job bringing Esther back. And Fuhrman is the real highlight of this series: she does a great job portraying Esther, and I'm highly amused that she's continuing to play this character even as she gets older. A part of me hopes they just keep finding excuses to bring Esther back again and again just so Fuhrman can keep pretending to be a child. No matter how ludicrous this series gets, I will gladly keep watching. Long live Esther.