Back in 2009, after the peak of horror remakes from Platinum Dunes, but before the rise of Blumhouse, a little indie horror film called Orphan hit theaters. The twisty psychological thriller was a sleeper hit. And for years, fans have wondered if a follow-up to the story of the creepy child called Esther was possible. Now, 13 years later, Esther is back, in the prequel film Orphan: First Kill. Actress Isabelle Fuhrman returns as Esther, along with new cast members Julia Stiles and Rossif Sutherland.
You can watch the first full trailer for Orphan: First Kill right here:
And here’s the official description for Orphan: First Kill:
Esther’s terrifying saga continues in this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit Orphan. After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Yet, an unexpected twist arises that pits her against a mother who will protect her family from the murderous ‘child’ at any cost.
So, how exactly can Isabelle Fuhrman play the wicked child Esther all these years later? It’s all thanks to modern digital trickery. The filmmakers revealed that they used a combination of makeup prosthetics and forced perspective shots to allow Fuhrman to play Esther once again. In addition, the production hired two child actors to serve as body doubles for Fuhrman.
We’ve seen digital de-aging of actors a lot lately, such as in The Book of Boba Fett. But can they convincingly de-age an adult actor into looking like a child? We are eager to see if they can pull that off. If they can, it will certainly extend the life of this franchise by many years. Little Esther can continue to wreak havoc for years on screen if this works.
Orphan: First Kill delivers quite the creepy trailer. The film is set to be released simultaneously via a limited theatrical release, video on demand, and also on Paramount+ on August 19.
