The Purge Creator Says New Sequel Will Feature "Remapped America" (Exclusive)
Ahead of the release of The Forever Purge, series creator James DeMonaco had detailed that it was expected to be the final entry in the franchise, only for that film's release to come with the reveal that he found a new approach to a sixth film, with DeMonaco recently hinting at what fans could expect from the upcoming sequel. In addition to that film planning to bring back Frank Grillo's character Leo, the events of The Forever Purge would have such an impact on the state of the world that audiences shouldn't expect to see America look like it did in the previous movies. The Forever Purge is available on Digital HD now and will be on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 28th.
"I can't say much, but you're definitely ... You have the right reference that you're going to," DeMonaco confirmed with ComicBook.com when noting how The Forever Purge sets up a situation similar to Escape from New York. "It's definitely, I'll say this: the America that we enter into in Purge 6 is not the America we now live in. It's been remapped, I should say, in a unique way. And we're entering into this very changed surface of America. And the other thing I can say, because I think it's already out there, is that, if it happens, it is the return of Frank Grillo's Leo character, so that's fun. But it's definitely ... A new America has been formed. And after, it's about 10 to 15 years after The Forever Purge."
The debut film introduced audiences to the concept of a future in which crime was legal for a 12-hour period every year, with The Forever Purge focusing on a group of characters who refuse to stop "purging" once those 12 hours are up. Viewers witness how this becomes a tipping point for the entire country, with some citizens fighting back and others joining in the chaos.
"Even with [The Forever Purge], we were like, 'It needs to flip itself on its head,'" the filmmaker noted. "And we didn't really commit to even moving forward until I woke up with the idea that, 'Oh, people don't stop.' That's not like a natural, 'Oh.' We were like, 'Oh, okay.' Now, we thought, 'Okay, let's stop talking about this because...' Otherwise, doing another Purge Night that ended in 12 hours felt like, 'Ah, we just kind of repeating ourselves. We don't want to do that again.' And so, again, [Purge 6] also, like you just said, it's, 'Okay, let's close that book and open a new book if we're going to continue.' So, I hope it works. People seem to be happy with the script, so let's hope we get to do it."
While this is all promising news for Purge fans, DeMonaco did specify that, while the script is done and Grillo is interested in a return, it's currently unknown when or if the project will be moving forward.
As fans wait for updates on The Purge 6, they can check out his latest film This Is the Night, screening in New York City starting on September 17th and landing on streaming platforms on September 21st. The Forever Purge is available on Digital HD now and will be on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 28th.
Would you like to see a new The Purge? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!