The Purge Director Says Television Spin-Off Is In Development

It looks like The Purge may never end. The popular horror franchise debuted in 2013 and has since spawned two sequels. And, according to James DeMonaco, The Purge is being adapted into a truly sinister television spin-off.

The director and writer recently spoke with CinemaBlend to celebrate the home release of The Purge: Election Year, and he wound up breaking the news. When asked whether fans may see The Purge take on the small screen, DeMonaco said they would.

"Dude, it's so weird you bring that up," DeMonaco said. "Yes! Not an anthology...I guess kind of an anthology -- more of an interwoven anthology. They came to me about a TV show, my idea is that you do six or seven storylines. And I would kind of intercut them, use flashbacks."

He went on to say that The Purge would suit cable well because of its expanded runtime. DeMonaco said his ideal adaptation would run about ten hours (or ten episodes) and delve into the psyche of 'purgers' who commit crimes on Purge Night.

"The idea of why I like the idea of a 10 hour TV thing on this, the one thing you really can't do on the films is get into the nuance and complexity that would drive someone to commit a terrible act on this night," DeManaco explained.

"What might be interesting in a TV show is with a flashback narrative, if you start on Purge Night but you go back to show how people have gotten to where they are. Where you see a couple that's gone haywire on this night, but let's show everything that's led up to this moment of a husband trying to kill a wife -- the cheating or the accusations of cheating or money problems," he continued. "It will be interesting to show those arcs, those dramatic and complex arcs that get people to where they pick up a gun or a knife and kill someone else."

Clearly, DeMonaco has put a good bit of thought into the developing series. And, according to him, the show might reach audiences sooner rather than later. The filmmaker said the project is "far ahead on the TV front."

"We're talking about deals right now, money is being spoken about. Things like that. So I think it's being taken very seriously from the higher-ups who obviously dictate everything."

If you're not familiar with The Purge, then you're dreams have likely been free of nightmares regarding government-sanctioned slaughters. The franchise takes place in the future where an annual civic tradition called 'The Purge' takes place. For twelve hours a year, all crime is legalized and emergency services become unavailable, prompting the worst of humanity to rear its head for a night.

Most recently, The Purge: Election Year hit theaters and earned over $115 million at the worldwide box office. Before that, The Purge: Anarchy earned nearly $112 million while the first installment raked in $89 million.

[H/T] CinemaBlend