Republic Pictures has acquired the U.S. rights to the Orphan franchise prequel Orphans from Dark Castle Entertainment.

The film serves as a prequel to 2022’s Orphan: First Kill.

Isabelle Fuhrman returns as Esther.

William Brent Bell (Orphan: First Kill, The Boy) directs from a script by David Coggeshall (Orphan: First Kill, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia).

Stephen Moyer (“True Blood”), Susanne Wuest (Goodnight Mommy), and Simon Man (“Westworld”) also star.

Dark Castle’s Norman Golightly produces with Alex Mace of Gnosis Films and original Orphan writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Fuhrman serves as executive producer alongside Kelly Gallagher and Victor Moyers.

“Surrounding Isabelle with Stephen, Simon, and Susanne will deliciously add to the twists, turns, and kills that Orphan fans have come to love and expect from the franchise,” said Golightly.

“We’re thrilled to bring the next chapter of the Orphan franchise to audiences across the US,” added Sejin Croninger, EVP, Worldwide Acquisitions, Paramount Pictures. “Dark Castle has built an iconic series, and this new installment expands that world in bold and unexpected ways.”

Deadline first reported on the acquisition.