Orphan Prequel Adds Julia Stiles and Original Star Isabelle Fuhrman

Debuting in 2009, director Jaume Collet-Serra's Orphan was initially ignored by critics and [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Debuting in 2009, director Jaume Collet-Serra's Orphan was initially ignored by critics and audiences, though it delivered a truly unexpected finale which made it stand out from the crowd of creepy kid horror films, with the upcoming prequel Orphan: First Kill adding Julia Stiles and original star Isabelle Fuhrman to the endeavor, per Deadline. The original film starred Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard as parents who adopt the nine-year-old Esther (Fuhrman), who goes on to demonstrate bizarre behavior, leading to the reveal that, rather than being a child, she's an adult woman with primordial dwarfism and is merely exploiting families for her own gain.

Orphan: First Kill is described, "Leena Klammer orchestrates a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility and travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. But Leena's new life as 'Esther' comes with an unexpected wrinkle and pits her against a mother who will protect her family at any cost."

In the original Orphan, Fuhrman was only slightly older than her on-screen character, so with the actress now being 23 and the film serving as a prequel, this presents some challenges for the filmmakers. Deadline claims, "In order to help Fuhrman bring her character to life again, filmmakers are utilizing a combination of forced perspective shooting and a world-class makeup team."

In addition to starring, Fuhrman will also reportedly serve as an associate producer. It's unknown what role Stiles will be playing in the project.

Orphan: First Kill is directed by William Brent Bell (The Boy, The Devil Inside) from a script by David Coggeshall (Scream: The TV Series, Lore). The original Orphan writer, David Leslie Johnson, will serve as an executive producer.

Orphan: First Kill isn't the only upcoming horror film fans can see Fuhrman in, as she also starred in Escape Room 2, which is set to hit theaters sometime in 2021. Stiles is no stranger to genre projects herself, having starred in the 2006 remake of The Omen as well as earning Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award nominations for her role in Dexter.

Following Orphan, director Collett-Serra went on to helm projects like The Shallows and Non-Stop, with the director having helmed Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt in Jungle Cruise for Disney and currently being attached to Johnson's Black Adam.

Stay tuned for details on Orphan: First Kill.

Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

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