‘Orphan’ Prequel Enlists Isabelle Fuhrman to Reprise Role of Esther (EXCLUSIVE)

Isabelle Fuhrman Orphan
Fuhrman: Courtesy of Isabelle Fuhrman; Orphan: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Looks like something is still wrong with Esther.

Isabelle Fuhrman, who broke out in Hollywood as the lead of the disturbing 2009 hit “Orphan,” will reprise her role in an upcoming prequel to the film.

Fuhrman played Esther, an Eastern European child adopted by parents (played by Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga) overcoming an unspeakable loss of their own. It earned $80 million worldwide on a reported $20 million budget.

While the movie received mixed reviews, it was largely credited with delivering a twist that broke new ground in the sub-genre of disturbed little kids — Esther was not a child at all, but an adult woman with primordial dwarfism masquerading as a nine-year-old. This made her attempts to split up her parents and eliminate her siblings all the more sinister and unforgettable.

While the prequel’s plot is under wraps, Fuhrman will return as star and associate producer on the project. William Brent Bell (“The Boy,” “The Devil Inside”) will direct the pic from a script by David Coggeshall. Dark Castle Entertainment and Entertainment One will mount production, which is imminently underway.

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Dark Castle’s Alex Mace, Hal Sadoff and Ethan Erwin are producing with James Tomlinson. The original film’s screenwriter, David Leslie Johnson, will serve as an executive producer with Jen Gorton. Josie Liang will oversee the movie for Entertainment One.

Fuhrman’s additional credits include “The Hunger Games” and the acclaimed Showtime series “Masters of Sex.” She will next star in “Escape Room 2” from Sony Pictures, set to release in January 2021.

She is repped by UTA and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.