'Esther,' a prequel to 2009 horror 'Orphan' is in the works, from 'The Boy' director William Brent Bell. This is going to be decent-
With his sequel set to open this weekend, STX’s Brahms: The Boy II, William Brent Bell will next direct Esther, a prequel to to Warner Bros.’/Dark Castle’s 2009 genre pic Orphan for eOne. Sierra/Affinity is also launching sales at the Berlin Film Festival.
The prequel is written by David Coggeshall. In it, Lena Klammer orchestrates a brilliant escape from a Russian psychiatric facility and travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. But Lena’s new life as “Esther” comes with an unexpected wrinkle and pits her against a mother who will protect her family at any cost. Filming is expected to start in the third quarter.
Everything is going to hinge on the casting of young Esther because Isabelle Fuhrman was the best thing about ORPHAN and she's aged out of being able to pull of the fake kid role.