Posted in: Horror, Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: film, horror, orphan, orphan: first kill

Orphan: First Kill Has a Solid Twist According to Julia Stiles

The 2009 horror film Orphan has been recognized over the years for its unusual twist and originality, especially considering the psychologically charged title was led by a then 12-year-old Isabelle Fuhrman. The film went on to earn nearly $80 million on a production budget of $20 million, making it a solid hit – but there wasn't a single door left open to explore for future films. Considering the titular character was a 30-something-year-old pretending to be an orphaned child who met her very fitting demise in the film's climax, it wasn't exactly a predictable film in terms of typical follow-ups.

Yet here we are in 2021, and we're actually getting an unexpected prequel, Orphan: First Kill, with Fuhrman returning to play her character once more. This time around, the film will center on Leena Klammer (Fuhrman's character, also known as Esther), who escapes an Estonian psychiatric facility and travels to the United States by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family, however, while using the guise of "Esther," she comes into conflict with the family's matriarch.

In a recent interview with Collider, Julia Stiles, who is presumably the matriarch of the family, discussed what drew her to the film and suggested there's another massive twist similar to the first film. Stiles explains, "I do not watch horror movies, and when I was sent the script for it, I was like, 'I don't know. I'm not into that genre.' And I was also really worried about going back to work after COVID. And the script was so dang good, I couldn't put it down, and I was so surprised by the twist that I'm not gonna give away that I think you'll like it."

Regarding her perceptions of Fuhrman's role, she added, "It's incredibly psychological. I'm not really interested in blood and gore. I find it gross, but I don't find it really scary. What I find scary is the stuff that happens up here. And Isabelle Fuhrman's character, Esther – although she has multiple names, Leena, I don't know – it's just such a fascinating – especially now because she's a grown-up. She's 23 now playing the same part. It's just such a fascinating sociopathic character, along the lines of why Norman Bates was so interesting to watch."

Anyone else extremely excited about Orphan: First Kill?

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