Cast, story and everything we know

The surprise hit of 2022 Orphan: First Death opened the door for another sequel, and there are already exciting updates about Orphan 3. The series stars Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther, a murderous con artist who disguises herself as a nine-year-old girl. Serving as a prequel to Orphan, Orphan: First Death was set just over a decade before its predecessor. The film wasn’t exactly an original story, but it established how she managed to escape from a psychiatric facility in Estonia and make her way to the US.

Orphan: First Death brought a creative touch to OrphanTrue story-inspired storytelling without compromising all the elements that made the first film so fun. While the film series’ writers will have to think of even better twists to keep the ball rolling for the franchise, Orphan: First Death left some plot clues and loose unresolved threads that they could bring back Orphan 3. The trio was in limbo for some time before the news finally arrived, but Orphan 3 It’s now officially happening.

Latest news from Orphan 3

Threequel has the green light

Nearly a year after the film was announced as in development, latest news confirms that Orphan 3 has officially received the green light. In addition to simply announcing the film itself, it was also confirmed that franchise star Isabelle Fuhrman will return to reprise her role as villain Esther. It’s not the only strong franchise back on board, and Orphan 3 is written by First death screenwriter David Coggeshall, while the sequel’s director William Brent Bell will also be back to direct the trio.

Dark Castle Entertainment developed the film and co-CEO Norman Golightly issued the following statement on behalf of the company:

Dark Castle is pleased to announce another terrifying chapter in the Orphan saga. With the previous success of the first two films and another exciting storyline, we are confident that Orphan 3 will be a must-see film for both current fans of the franchise and new fans.

Orphan 3 is confirmed

Another Orphan Movie Coming Soon

Just over a year after the launch of Orphan: First Deathit was officially announced in December 2023 that Orphan 3 was in development. While this was an interesting update, it wasn’t clear exactly where the project stood until nearly a year later when the film was officially greenlit in November 2024. As soon as the announcement was made, it was confirmed that franchise star Isabelle Fuhrman would return, as would First death screenwriter David Coggeshall and director William Brent Bell.

While it’s unclear exactly when the third film will materialize, it will likely fans won’t have to wait as long for Esther’s return as they did for the first sequel. If the green light is any indication, it will likely go into production very quickly to deliver the film by 2025. However, little is known about the timeline at this point, and it will remain that way until more details emerge.

See how the Orphan Films fared with critics below:

Orphan 3 cast details

Isabelle Fuhrman returns as Esther

So far, the only name associated with the trio is Isabelle Fuhrmanwho will reprise her role as the assassin Esther. She has played the role since the original film, and although she is well into adulthood, she was able to play the role quite convincingly in Orphan: First Death. While nothing is confirmed yet, Fuhrman will likely be the only returning cast member, especially if Orphan 3 chooses to explore some still unknown phase of Esther’s life. Predicting who could join the cast is nearly impossible at this point, but more updates are expected soon.

Orphan 3 story details

There is more of Esther’s story to tell

Orphan: First DeathEsther’s ending establishes that Esther has a long history of crime and violence. Director William Brent Bell (via Bloody disgusting) talked about the same saying that 30 years of her life are yet to be explored, which leaves a lot of room for many of Esther’s bizarre life experiences. Orphan 3 will likely fill in some gaps in those three decades, though it’s unclear which parts will be the focus of the new film. Bell also cryptically hinted that more bizarre twists are coming, and it’s impossible to predict exactly how Orphan 3 will shock viewers.