Could There Be More Orphan Sequels After First Kill?
In the world of horror, few franchises are ever truly dead. As evidence of that, "Orphan: First Kill" is now available to stream on Paramount+, and this is a prequel to a movie from 2009, in which a 25-year-old actress returns to play the role of Esther that she originated almost 13 years ago. It's a wild idea but proves that anything is possible in the genre space. So, that begs the question, what about "Orphan 3?"
Nothing is remotely official at this stage, but first and foremost, there has to be a willingness to do such a thing. Speaking with Bloody Disgusting, director William Brent Bell certainly expressed a willingness on that front. "I would never do it if Isabelle [Fuhrman] didn't do it," Bell said, for starters. So it would require that Fuhrman once again comes back to the role of this creepy "child" from "Orphan." As for the other requirements? Bell elaborated further saying:
"It would also have to be a really cool script. We talked ... we joked about everything. There's 30 years of her life [that we haven't explored]. And there's so much life experience that we can play with. And I think because of the tone of this movie, we can go darker and lighter. Make her more in-charge, and evil, but also have even more fun at times. So of course there is [potential there]."
Maybe this could be like "Omen III: The Final Conflict" that sees a grown-up Damien played by Sam Neill? Regardless, stranger things have happened in the horror space. At the very least, Bell seems open to it. If Fuhrman could be convinced, what might stop it from happening?
It all comes down to reception
As with anything in Hollywood, it's all about reception and money. Though, if we're being honest, money is always the more important of those two factors. The good news for "Orphan: First Kill" is that the reception has been largely positive up to this point. When it comes to the financial element, things get a little dicier because the modern world makes it tough to gauge just how well something is performing.
The original "Orphan" was a big hit, taking in $78 million against a $20 million budget. Plus, it arrived at a time when home video sales were still a little more robust, so Paramount surely made some money through DVDs as well. But "First Kill" is more of a streaming play as it is both streaming on Paramount+ and playing a limited theatrical release. Though Paramount isn't limiting options as it's also available on VOD through other providers.
The box office is easy to track and measure. Streaming? It gets trickier. But the studio has that information and they are the ones who make the decisions. If the movie does well enough from an accounting perspective, they will undoubtedly look to keep the franchise going. That's just the way it goes.
"Orphan: First Kill" is streaming now on Paramount+.
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