Will there be an ‘Orphan 3?’ ‘Orphan: First Kill’ ending explained

The following article contains spoilers for Orphan: First Kill.

The follow-up to the 2009 horror hit Orphan is finally here, with the prequel film Orphan: First Kill in theaters now. Orphan: First Kill was directed by William Brent Bell, and it stars Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther, the character from the first film. Although Fuhrman was a young girl in the original, so practical effects were used to create her look from the first film.

Orphan: First Kill has as many connections to the first film as one would hope from a prequel, referencing how Esther ended up in the orphanage in Orphan, as well as her specific artistic trademark. But let’s talk about the possibilities for another film in the Orphan series, and how this film may have set up another prequel.

Could there be an Orphan 3?

Orphan: First Kill starts in the Saarne Institute which is in Estonia, as we see Leena before she takes the Esther identity, locked up. The main first plot point is that she manages to escape and before long crafts her plan to move to America by finding an American missing girl who she resembles. Of course, Leena is much too old to be a young girl as she is an old woman who through a medical condition called hypopituitarism, suffers from dwarfism, taking the appearance of a young girl. 

She ends up tricking the American family, the Albrights, that she was their missing daughter Esther. As the film progresses we find out that Esther is not actually missing and that Tricia Albright, played by Julia Stiles, covered up the death of her daughter after her son was too rough with her. The twist was compelling and placed Esther in an interesting position as she had a connection with Allen Albright, the father of the family, and was facing the increasing threat that Tricia knew her secret and would dispose of her. 

The end of the film sees the entire family die, though neither of the parents are killed by Esther, rather they fall off of the roof of their burning house. When the house does eventually burn down she is taken to an orphanage where she is then adopted by the Coleman family from the original Orphan. As there is no post-credits scene, there does not seem to be any of Esther’s story left to tell. After all, at the end of Orphan Kate Coleman — played by Vera Farmiga — does kill her.

But seeing as Leena needed to do something to get into the Saarne Institute, perhaps there is another prequel story to tell in Estonia, one that is even more sympathetic to Leena. It does seem like inherent trauma was what caused her more murderous traits, so there could be an opportunity to flesh out her backstory even further. Even Orphan: First Kill does do its best to make you feel for the character as we find out that Tricia covered up her daughter’s murder. While it does not seem like there are any more films in the franchise planned, a good 13 years separated the last two films, so maybe we will hear something by 2035. 

Catch Orphan: First Kill while it is in theaters now.