Following the theatrical and streaming debut for unexpected horror MVP Orphan: First Kill, actress Isabelle Fuhrman shared a fun video with a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made possible. Starting from the very first day of filming, when Fuhrman took up the pigtails once more, the video gives fans a glimpse into the practical tricks that helped Fuhrman and director William Brent Bell make unusual cinematic history. Without the use of CGI, the cast and crew utilized a number of methods to make Fuhrman appear 9-years-old... over ten years later.
In celebration of her new movie hitting theaters and Paramount+, Fuhrman posted a collection of behind-the-scenes videos to her Twitter account. In the video she starts out with the very first day of filming, donning Esther's now-iconic vintage look with the frilly dress, a thick coat, and youthful pigtails. The entire thread of footage is fittingly set to Michael Sembello's "Maniac," and features a couple of cast members, her two young body doubles, as well as a blood-drenched Fuhrman enjoying "just another day at the office." The actress shows fans a close-up of the contacts used to make her irises bigger in order to give the innocent illusion of a wide-eyed little girl, and clips of her dancing with her younger stand-ins in their identical costumes.
In between shots of co-star Matthew Finlan, who plays Esther's older brother Gunnar Albright, being splattered with fake blood, Fuhrman is filmed dancing, and then dancing again. The BTS for Orphan: First Kill would have us believe it's a musical about a homicidal Estonian woman disguised as a child. We also get to see the fabulously bejeweled platform boots worn by co-stars in order to give them a few feet over Fuhrman, and more dancing. The BTS video also reveals that Bell opted for a miniature effect for a house fire in the film rather than lighting an entire set ablaze. Fuhrman shared a couple of shots of the miniature house burning, showcasing the production's impressive dedication to practical effects over the ever-popular CGI.
Image via Paramount+
Fuhrman's post read:
"So grateful for my 600k followers on Instagram! And to all of the fans for going to see #Orphanfirstkill. We made this movie for you! Thank you for loving ESTHER since the first #ORPHAN movie. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what went into making this prequel!"
Orphan: First Kill is a prequel to 2009's original screenplay Orphan, which first introduced the genre to the eerie Esther Coleman, a 33-year-old woman with hypopituitarism, who disguises herself as a 9-year-old child. In First Kill, fans are taken back two years prior to Esther's adoption when she's still Leena Klammer, a dangerous, 31-year-old inmate at a mental institution. Though the movie doesn't actually show Leena's first kill, we understand that she's extremely volatile and manipulative. After escaping the institute, Leena assumes the identity of a missing American girl, Esther Albright, and is flown overseas to be reunited with the girl's family. Though audiences were led to believe First Kill would be little more than a play-by-play recreation of the first film, Julia Stiles plays an excellent part in Esther's saga, and even our antagonist is blindsided by the movie's epic twist.
Orphan: First Kill is definitely worth a watch for fans of the first movie, and is available to stream on Paramount+, as well as for pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD. Check out Fuhrman's BTS post and Collider's interview with her and the director below: