Filming Begins On Orphan 3 As Isabelle Fuhrman Returns To Terrify Audiences Once Again
Everyone’s favorite pint sized psychopath is back, and this time she is taking her twisted talents to Europe. Production has officially begun on Orphan 3, with filming now underway in Budapest, Hungary. Isabelle Fuhrman, who has somehow managed to remain both ageless and terrifying since 2009, is once again stepping into the saddle shoes of Esther, the homicidal con artist who has been ruining family lives for over a decade.
The production team confirmed the start of filming by sharing the official clapperboard, revealing that the film is currently operating under the working title “Orphans.” The board also confirms that William Brent Bell, who directed the 2022 prequel Orphan: First Kill, is back in the director’s chair, with Maxime Alexandre serving as director of photography. If the combination sounds familiar, it should, since Bell and Alexandre previously collaborated on First Kill, proving they can capture both a chilling atmosphere and Fuhrman’s unnervingly youthful menace in equal measure.
According to Paramount, Orphan 3 follows a ruthless con artist who sets her sights on a wealthy European household. Her latest scam is meticulously planned until someone uncovers her dark past and threatens to expose her true identity. Which, if history is any indication, will not end well for anyone within stabbing distance.
In a statement from Dark Castle Entertainment, co CEO Norman Golightly said, “Dark Castle is excited to announce another terrifying chapter in the Orphan saga. With the success of the first two movies and another thrilling storyline, we are confident that Orphan 3 will be a must see for both longtime fans and new audiences alike.” Translation: brace yourself, Esther’s back and she has unfinished business.
Fuhrman will reprise her role as Esther, or Leena depending on how deep into the lore you are, though the rest of the cast is still being kept under wraps. Given the film’s setting and premise, expect a few terrified aristocrats and perhaps another round of shocked parents who really should have Googled their new houseguest.
The screenplay comes from David Coggeshall, who also wrote Orphan: First Kill, ensuring narrative consistency in Esther’s increasingly improbable criminal resume. That film, released in 2022, served as a prequel to the original and saw Fuhrman’s character escaping from a psychiatric facility and assuming the identity of a missing child in a wealthy family. It blended bloody mayhem with gothic melodrama and grossed more than 45 million dollars worldwide, which is impressive for a story about an adult pretending to be a fourth grader.
The franchise began in 2009 with Orphan, directed by Jaume Collet Serra and starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard, in which a grieving couple adopts a seemingly innocent little girl who turns out to be a full grown woman with a fondness for arson, manipulation, and murder. The film made over 78 million dollars worldwide and quickly developed a cult following for its shocking twist and unapologetic weirdness. Between both installments, the Orphan series has raked in more than 125 million dollars, making Esther one of horror’s most profitable imposters.
Orphan 3 is being produced by Dark Castle Entertainment in collaboration with Alex Mace of Gnosis Films, with David Leslie Johnson McGoldrick serving as executive producer. Lionsgate is handling international sales, which makes sense since there is clearly a global appetite for evil children who are not actually children.
Director William Brent Bell, who has built a steady career blending supernatural and psychological horror (The Boy, Stay Alive, Separation), seems an ideal fit to continue Esther’s demented saga. Pair that with Maxime Alexandre’s sharp, polished cinematography, and it is safe to assume Orphan 3 will look as good as it is deeply wrong.
The film is expected to hit select theaters, digital platforms, and Paramount Plus either by the end of 2026 or early 2027, plenty of time for viewers to brush up on their fake adoption paperwork and brush off the trauma of the last two entries.
For horror fans, the return of Esther is both thrilling and a little confusing. How exactly does an eternally middle aged serial killer keep finding new families to con? Does no one in the Orphan universe own the internet? At this point, the mystery of Esther’s survival is almost as entertaining as her body count.
Regardless, one thing is certain, no one plays deranged quite like Isabelle Fuhrman. She brought elegance to deception, tragedy to madness, and somehow managed to make pigtails terrifying. If Orphan 3 continues that legacy, we may be in for the most demented homecoming yet.
