It's that time of the year again, the time of summer picnics, 4th of July celebrations, and time for another Purge. This summer, what began as a surprise horror hit becomes a trilogy with The Purge: Election Year, a terrifyingly well-timed follow up to 2014's The Purge: Anarchy. The fact that The Purge spawned a hugely successful franchise isn't surprising, what is surprising is that, unlike most Hollywood franchises, all three Purge films have been written and directed by the same person, James DeMonaco. When DeMonaco first wrote The Purge, he envisioned the film to be a small arthouse thriller. Instead, he birthed a massive hit that was so popular, it had him coming back for more. With The Purge: Election Year opening in theaters, fans are wondering, will there be another Purge ?
So far, there are no official plans for a fourth Purge movie — Purge 4 , if you will — but that doesn't mean fans should give up hope. After The Purge: Anarchy was released, DeMonaco said he was uncertain of the future of the series, telling Collider, "I'll be honest, I don't know [if I'll keep going with Purge]. I feel like if something naturally comes to me that I'm inspired by, I'll do it." DeMonaco even had another project in mind, adding that he had written a script that contained "sociopolitical things about women specifically." That script, it seems, has yet to come to fruition, but it might be telling that The Purge: Election Year is about a female Senator's fight for survival.
Whether or not there is a Purge 4 might depend on the actors as much as the writer/director. Frank Grillo, who starred in The Purge: Anarchy, reprises his role as Sergeant in Election Year, and he revealed in an interview with /Film that DeMonaco said he would do a third film only if Grillo agreed to come back and star, noting that DeMonaco didn't even have a script when he was approached. "They didn't have a script. They just called and said, 'Would you be interested if we had a great script?' DeMonaco called and said, 'If it's with you, I'll do it,'" Grillo said. So, it's quite possible that fans will know whether or not a Purge 4 is happening depending on Sergeant's fate in the film.
Whether or not DeMonaco or Grillo return for another Purge film, depending on how the studio wants to run its franchise, the series could live on without its creator and/or star. Granted, DeMonaco would likely be a bigger hit to future films, but many horror franchises have gone through multiple directors and writers, and fans still flock to the theaters.
The Purge certainly lends itself to more sequels and spinoffs. Audiences are curious to see the origins of the Purge, for example, or what happens the morning after the Purge. Then there's the possibility of showing different towns across the country and how various areas celebrate or react on Purge night. In other words, the possibilities for Purge movies are limitless, and each more horrifying than the last.
The Purge: Election Year might be the final Purge movie planned for now, but I doubt it will be the last.
Images: Universal Pictures
