William Brent Bell (“The Devil Inside,” “The Boy”) has signed on to helm “Esther,” the sequel to Jaume Collett-Serra’s thriller “Orphan” which was infamous for its ambitious big twist reveal.
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR “ORPHAN”
“Orphan” followed a husband and wife (Peter Sarsgaard, Vera Farmiga) who in the wake of losing their baby, adopt a nine-year-old girl (Isabelle Fuhrman) who is not nearly as innocent as she claims to be. Ultimately it turns out she’s a 33-year-old homicidal Russian ex-prostitute with proportional dwarfism named Lena Klammer.
“Esther” will serve as a prequel, showing Lena’s brilliant escape from a Russian psychiatric facility. She then travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Her new life as ‘Esther’ however comes with an unexpected wrinkle and pits her against a mother who will protect her family at any cost.
David Coggeshall (“Watch Over Me,” “Prey”) penned the script while Alex Mace, James Tomlinson, Hal Sadoff, and Ethan Erwin will produce.
Source: Deadline
