Julia Stiles has boarded Entertainment One and Dark Castle Entertainment’s Orphan prequel Orphan: First Kill (né Esther), and we hear that the star of the 2009 feature, Isabelle Fuhrman, is also returning to play her iconic role of Esther.
William Brent Bell (The Boy franchise) is already shooting Orphan: First Kill in Winnipeg. 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 Orphan: First Kill, written by David Coggeshall, 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.
Dark Castle’s Alex Mace, Hal Sadoff and Ethan Erwin are producing with James Tomlinson. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick will serve as an EP with Jen Gorton and Josie Liang overseeing for eOne. Sierra/Affinity is handling international sales.
Stiles’ feature credits include Hustlers, Jason Bourne, Silver Linings Playbook and Showtime’s Dexter, on which she received a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nomination. She currently stars in and serves as executive producer on the series Riviera.
Fuhrman’s past credits include The Hunger Games and Showtime’s Masters of Sex. She is starring in Screen Gems’ Escape Room 2 set for a 2021 theatrical release.
Stiles is represented by The Gersh Agency, Untitled Entertainment and Sloane, Offer. Fuhrman is repped by UTA and Gang, Tyre.
The first Orphan follows a husband and wife who in the wake of losing their baby, adopt a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she claims to be. The movie, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, starred Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard and Fuhrman. Orphan opened to $12.8 million domestic, finaled at $41.5M, and neared $78M worldwide.