‘Orphan’ star set to headline Beth Fletcher’s thriller ‘Heartache’
Playing Esther in ‘Orphan’ would be enough to make an actress a familiar face to horror fans. Returning for ‘Orphan: First Kill’ gave audiences another reason to be wary of that face. Now, the star behind the character has another thriller underway. This time, even falling in love comes with a threat.
Isabelle Fuhrman is leading ‘Heartache,’ a dramatic sci-fi thriller marking Beth Fletcher’s feature directing debut, according to Deadline. Filming is underway in Massachusetts, with Fuhrman also serving as executive producer. Deadline describes the story as centering on “a woman determined to discover love in a near-future world where heartbreak has become lethal, whose search for intimacy becomes increasingly entangled with obsession and control.” Her character is named Kara.
Fletcher explained the idea to Deadline, “With Heartache, I was excited to create a world in which it’s safer to be alone–to tell the story of what we’ll risk to stay together,” she said. Fletcher’s previous work has screened at TIFF, RiverRun, and New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. Mark Ashin wrote the screenplay. He is also producing through Page 8 Pictures alongside Sionne Elise, Dylan Matlock and JP Ouellette of Circa 1888, whose credits include ‘Mass.’
Ashin also spoke to Deadline about watching Fuhrman bring Kara to the screen. “Isabelle is giving a performance beyond what I could have hoped for when I first wrote Kara.” He added, “She brings an energy that is somehow both grounded and charged, and it’s been such a pleasure watching her work.” Casting for the film is handled by SJ Allocco-St. Germain.
‘Heartache’ joins a slate that takes Fuhrman beyond her work as Esther. Her performance in the rowing drama ‘The Novice’ earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. She is also attached to star opposite Michael Rooker in ‘Izzi,’ a possession thriller announced by Deadline in February. That project gives her a dual role, with her brothers, Jamie Neese and Jason Neese, directing. She will also appear in Netflix’s ‘The 99ers,’ a drama about the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup slated to premiere in 2027.
