When The Purge debuted back in the summer of 2013, no one could have predicted the massive franchise the high-concept horror film would spawn. Set in a dystopian world where a yearly holiday allows for all citizens to kill and break the law, the film’s premise struck a chord with audiences with its inventiveness and social backbone, which has led to a prosperous run for the Blumhouse brand. With four films and two seasons of a TV series in the books, The Purge brand only continues to grow and will continue to do so with its upcoming film The Forever Purge.
The Hollywood Reporter has discovered that the fifth entry of the franchise will be titled The Forever Purge, with the project still set for a July 2020 release after completing filming earlier this year. Series creator James DeMarco wrote this entry, which will apparently “take Purge out of its usual metropolitan setting while still dealing with class and race issues in the way the previous films have.”
The Purge’s success as a low-budget original project that generates its own franchise is part of the reason why horror has become commonplace in Hollywood. With the lack of financial risk, it allows producers to take chances on material to create a new franchise, as Blumhouse has done so effectively during their successful tenure (Blum alone has jump-started the Purge, Paranormal Activity, and Insidious franchises).
As far as The Forever Purge goes, I am intrigued to see where this new entry takes the franchise. While I wasn’t overly impressed with Purge: The Election Year, it did have some effective genre moments while expanding on the series’ socially-conscious backbone. I think operating in a new environment could be beneficial, as it will allow DeMarco to tackle the series’ ideals in a new context.
Are you excited for The Forever Purge? Let us know in the comments!