Late last year, the trades confirmed that a third Orphan movie had been greenlit, with Lionsgate planning to launch it at the American Film Market. We didn't learn much then, but Variety reported Orphan: First Kill writing and directing team David Coggeshall and William Brent Bell would be returning to helm it. Now we've got a little more information to share from the star, Isabelle Fuhrman herself!
During the recent Spookala convention in Tampa, Florida, Bloody Disgusting writer Jason Jenkins had the chance to chat with Fuhrman and ask her about the third movie. The actress promised that the twists coming in this movie will be "wilder and crazier" than what has come before, which is a remarkable promise considering how shocking the previous twists have been.
When asked if the third movie would be a prequel or a sequel, Fuhrman cryptically said, "Both."
Orphan: First Kill was a prequel, presumably because Fuhrman's character, Esther, died at the end of the first movie. But Fuhrman's comment suggests that Esther may have survived getting her neck snapped by Vera Farmiga's character, Kate.
Jaume Collet-Serra's (The Woman in the Yard) 2009 movie followed married couple Kate and John Coleman (Peter Sarsgaard) through their adoption journey as they bring home a nine-year-old girl named Esther to be part of their family alongside their other two children Daniel and Max. But as the movie progresses, Esther demonstrates psychopathic tendencies like killing animals and attacking classmates.
Ultimately, it is revealed that "Esther" is a 33-year-old woman named Leena, but due to a rare condition, her physical growth is stunted, making her look perpetually like a young girl.
Orphan was followed by the 2022 movie Orphan: First Kill, a prequel story about how Leena escaped from a mental institute and eventually ended up in the orphanage where the Coleman family would later adopt her.
The Orphan alternate ending
With a third Orphan movie on the way, the series will officially be a trilogy, and Fuhrman's comment suggests that the new film might take a unique route. There was an alternate ending to the 2009 film that saw Esther survive, included in the extras on the physical media edition of the film. You can also find it on YouTube.
In the alternate ending, Esther is shown putting makeup on her face as the cops arrive at the house. It's unclear what happened to Kate in this ending, but it does suggest that Esther is alive and well somewhere, potentially in police captivity.
The upcoming I Am Legend sequel will also utilize the original film's alternate ending instead of the theatrical one, so there is at least one precedent for a third Orphan movie to follow the same path.