The Purge creator James DeMonaco revealed to Bloody Disgusting that he and his wife have written a sixth film in the franchise.
“I just finished a script. My producer, Sébastien Lemercier, has read multiple drafts, given me notes. We just handed it to Jason [Blum],” he tells me.
“I’m really happy with it. I hope they like it. I think it’s cool and fun. We’re hoping next year would be great to shoot, maybe the end of this year if timing works out. But now it’s with the powers that be, so we’ll see what happens.”
DeMonaco wrote all five installments in the franchise — 2013’s The Purge, 2014’s The Purge: Anarchy, 2016’s The Purge: Election Year, 2018’s The First Purge, and 2021’s The Forever Purge — in addition directing the first three. He also created USA’s “The Purge” series that ran for two seasons between 2018 and 2019.
DeMonaco adds, “People’s favorite character might be coming back, I can say without naming who that is; a couple of people who could be. But someone’s coming back who I love and I think the audience loves.”
He’s almost certainly referring to Frank Grillo, who starred as Sgt. Leo Barnes in Anarchy and Election Year.
“Then we create some real great female heroes in this one. There’s some really amazing women. We’ve had some great women in the past, but real warrior women come forth here in a way that we haven’t really explored on Purge night,” DeMonaco continues.
“It’s been really fun to write. And I’m writing with my wife, so I’m getting a nice female perspective, and that’s been really fun.”
DeMonaco credits his wife with inspiring the original concept for The Purge based on a comment she made after they were involved in a road rage incident, so it’s a bit of a full-circle moment to have her creatively involved in which may be the final entry.
While we wait for the return of The Purge, DeMonaco’s new horror film The Home opens in theaters on July 25. Stay tuned for a full interview next week.