Most horror movies designed to tell a standalone story almost inevitably end up spawning sequels, prequels or spinoffs if the box office numbers are strong enough to warrant the investment, but based on the central concept, it didn’t appear as though Jaume Collet-Serra’s 2009 hit Orphan would be one of them.
12 year-old Isabelle Fuhrman played Esther, a troubled youngster adopted by a married couple mourning the stillbirth of their third child. Things start off swimmingly as she adapts to her new surroundings, but soon begin taking a turn for the worst after Esther displays some homicidal tendencies that put her new family in grave danger, before a shocking revelation uncovers a sinister secret.
Orphan raked in close to $80 million at the box office on a $20 million budget, and that seemed to be that. However, it was announced last month that follow-up First Kill had already started filming, with Fuhrman back as Esther. If you’re confused as to how the actress is reprising the role over a decade later in a prequel about someone who passes as a 9 year-old girl, the production is using forced perspective and makeup to de-age the 23 year-old, so let’s hope that the effects are convincing enough to cut her age down without looking ridiculous.
Now, with filming close to calling it a wrap, Fuhrman has posted some behind the scenes images from Orphan: First Kill, which you can check out below.
The story will follow Esther as she escapes from an Estonian psychological institution and makes the perilous journey to America, presumably offing several people along the way. The Boy director William Brent Bell is behind the camera for the second installment in the unexpected franchise and currently, Orphan: First Kill is set to hit theaters at some point next year.