American writer, director, and producer William Brent Bell is a bit of an enigma if you ask us. On the one hand, he has a track record of box office hits. Conversely, those same films that grossed millions of dollars have not been well received. Bell, who has seven feature films under his belt, is probably best known for horror films such as “The Boy,” “Brahms: The Boy II,” and “The Devil Inside.”
All three of these films are listed as rotten on the critic’s side of the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. If we were to add up the critic’s scores for the films combined, the total is less than 50%, but the box office gross for the trio is over $150 million. With this knowledge, we are intrigued by Bell’s upcoming horror projects, “The Lord of Misrule” and “Orphan: First Kill.” The latter is a sequel to Jaume Collet-Serra‘s 2009 film “Orphan.”
“Orphan” follows a couple who, after the death of their unborn child, adopt a nine-year-old girl from an orphanage. The girl, Esther, begins to show signs of violent and disturbing behavior, which alarms the family’s matriarch. Since the film ended (spoiler alert) with Esther’s body floating in a pond after her neck is broken, “Orphan: First Kill” is a prequel following Esther’s escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility.
Isabelle Fuhrman reprises her role as Esther and stars alongside Julia Stiles, Rossif Sutherland, and Matthew Finlan.
Here is the film’s official synopsis:
“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.”
Paramount releases “Orphan: First Kill” in theaters and on Paramount+ on August 19, 2022. Watch the trailer below.