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‘Orphan 3’ – William Brent Bell is Actively Developing a Sequel

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Orphan 3 - Isabelle Fuhrman

William Brent Bell (The Boy, Separation) stepped into the director’s chair for Orphan: First Kill, a prequel film that solidified Esther’s killer icon status. The filmmaker revealed that he’s actively developing a follow-up, ensuring Esther’s killer hijinks will continue.

“We’re developing a third one now. The franchise’s rulebook has been opened up to where anything is possible,” Bell said in an interview with THR. “And knowing where we are in the process already, I’m extremely excited about the twists and turns that we have in store.”

The prequel, written by David Coggeshall, saw Isabelle Fuhrman reprising the role of Esther thanks to clever production trickery.

In Orphan: First Kill, “Esther’s terrifying saga continues in this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit, Orphan. After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Yet, an unexpected twist arises that pits her against a mother who will protect her family from the murderous ‘child’ at any cost.”

Fuhrman faced off against Julia Stiles in the prequel movie, and Vera Farmiga in the original film. Who do you want to see Esther battle next?

While Bell didn’t divulge any plot details for the third entry, he did tease of its direction, “now that we’ve gone another direction with the second one, the franchise’s rulebook has been opened up to where anything is possible.” And, “knowing where we are in the process already, I’m extremely excited about the twists and turns that we have in store.”

After making $12.2 million worldwide in theaters in 2022 – the film only hit a maximum of 557 theaters at the height of its run here in the United States – it should come as no surprise that the franchise would likely return.

Stay tuned for more details as they arrive. In the meantime, Bell’s latest horror effort, Lord of Misrule, released on VOD and in theaters last week.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

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The Birthday Murders: Viral Marketing Website Launches for ‘Longlegs’

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NEON has been absolutely slaying the marketing game for their horror output this year, and they’re kicking the Longlegs campaign into high gear with one more month until release.

A cryptic ad in The Seattle Times today (seen below) has led clever horror fans to discover TheBirthdayMurders.net, the brand new official viral marketing website for Longlegs.

The in-universe website details the victims of the serial killer known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), described as a “Satan-worshipping psycho” who has terrorized families throughout the Pacific Northwest for nearly three decades.

The website details, “A bloody trail of bodies here in the great state of Oregon attests to the depraved savagery of this one-of-a-kind serial killer. With over three dozen victims that we know of, LONGLEGS is one of the most prolific mass murderers ever to have graced the region, and his gruesome endeavors are the stuff of nightmares. At first, all of the killings appeared to be straightforward murder-suicides: the handiwork of average men who suddenly snapped and slaughtered their wives and children. But a series of eerie coded messages left at the crime scenes indicate that someone – or something – is influencing these horrific crimes. The cryptic letters are signed by someone calling himself LONGLEGS.”

“With thirty-eight kills to his name, LONGLEGS has torn apart the lives of eleven different families throughout the Beaver State. His victims were good people: honest fathers, decent mothers, innocent little children.”

The website is loaded with secrets, clues, and gruesome (faux) crime scene photos, and you might even find a mention of yours truly nestled in there. Poke around. Stay a while.

Longlegs arrives in theaters July 12.

The upcoming serial killer horror movie marks the return of director Osgood Perkins (The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Gretel & Hansel). Nicolas Cage stars alongside Maika Monroe, with Monroe playing an FBI agent and Cage playing a serial killer.

In the film, “FBI Agent Lee Harker (Monroe) is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer (Cage). As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.

The film is rated “R” for “Bloody violence, disturbing images and some language.”

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