Orphan 3 has revealed a major development update, alongside an official title confirmation, one year after the horror sequel was announced. In November 2024, Dark Castle Entertainment confirmed another movie had been greenlit by Lionsgate, In May 2025, slasher star Isabelle Fuhrman described the third installment of the franchise, praising the script written by David Coggeshall, saying it’s in early stages.
Now, DiscussingFilm has released a behind-the-scenes photo from Orphan 3, confirming filming on the next installment has begun. The new movie will be titled Orphans, and will see Fuhrman reprise her role as Esther. No other stars nor details about the movie have been revealed, other than Coggeshall returning to write and William Brent Bell directing. Check it out below:
Not much has been revealed about Orphans, beyond the return of Fuhrman, Coggeshall, and Bell, all of whom worked on the 2022 prequel, Orphan: First Kill. While the story details haven’t been confirmed as of writing, the lead actor described it as an “inbetweenquel” when speaking to Bloody Disgusting in April, with events taking place before and after the first movie.
Orphan: First Kill was released in select theaters and on Paramount+ on August 19, 2022, 13 years after the original movie came out. The sequel garnered generally positive critical reception, earning a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes. It also garnered $45.6 million at the global box office, with its release being successful enough to warrant a sequel.
The end of Orphan: First Kill seemingly stopped at the point where Esther would later be adopted by the Coleman’s in the original movie. But, if the film does take place both between the two films and after the original, then the story being told could add even more lore and backstory to the franchise, offered in major ways.
Depending on how the movie plays out, there could be some deeper answers about what Esther did in the orphanage and how it connects to what happens to her after the events of the original movie. Given the title, Orphans, it seems like someone from her past is going to be involved in her killing spree this time around.
With filming only just beginning, it seems like Orphan 3 has plenty of secrets up its sleeve, with a potentially major change to its formula. While it’s unclear how the new installment will play out, the film has plenty of potential based on its title alone. This could make it a unique sequel as Ether’s story expands in new ways.