Alien had Aliens. Influencer has Influencers. And now the Orphan franchise has Orphans. Yes, someone must’ve swept into Paramount’s board room and added that wonderful pluralising dollar sign to the end of the title, because cinema’s favourite micro-bitch is back.
Per multiple sources, Orphan 3 is officially filming in Budapest under the title Orphans, with Isabelle Fuhrman once again portraying the tiny terror who just won’t quit, Esther.
Director William Brent Bell and screenwriter David Coggeshall return from Orphan: First Kill, joined by cinematographer Maxime Alexandre (The Conjuring, Shazam!). The third instalment comes from Dark Castle Entertainment and Lionsgate, the same pairing that turned 2022’s prequel into a viral hit.
A studio logline describes Orphans as following “a ruthless con-artist who targets a wealthy European household. Her carefully planned scheme unravels when someone uncovers her dark past and threatens to expose her true identity.” In other words: Esther’s heading for high society – and another meltdown.
The Orphan films have always thrived on tonal whiplash. We called Jaume Collet-Serra’s 2009 original “fun, dumb, B-movie fluff,” but praised First Kill for a “gonzo third act” that left us roaring with laughter. If that trajectory continues, Orphans could be the series’ full-tilt descent into operatic camp.
Fuhrman has already promised a script that’s “wilder and crazier,” and Bell recently said the “rulebook is open now.” The plural title only fuels the speculation: new protégés? copycats? why not a whole clutch of cloned Esthers? Whatever form it takes, the franchise that refused to grow up is doubling down.
No release date is confirmed, but with production rolling and Lionsgate handling distribution, a 2026 launch feels likely. For now, Budapest has the honour – and the problem – of hosting the most dangerous fake nine-year-old in horror.
More as we get it…
Whitlock&Pope 