‘The Purge’ Creator Explores Possibility of Revisiting Original Movie Characters in New TV Series

To establish a successful franchise, a strong film is often the starting point, and this holds true for ‘The Purge.’ The intense and gripping thriller, featuring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, was directed by James DeMonaco and released in 2013. Set in a dystopian future, the story revolves around the United States’ implementation of an annual event called “The Purge.” During this 12-hour period, all crimes, including murder, are legally permitted, and emergency services are temporarily halted. The franchise delves into the consequences and societal implications of this government-sanctioned event. With the first film’s massive commercial success, it led to four sequel films and a two-season network television show. Additionally, another film, featuring Frank Grillo, who appeared in the first two sequels, is currently in the early stages of development.

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In the initial film, Hawke and Headey portrayed James and Mary Sandin. James, a wealthy salesman of home security systems, has profited from the annual Purge by selling elaborate protection setups to affluent families. On the night of the Purge, the Sandin family locks themselves in their home, prepared for the evening. However, when their son Charlie (Max Burkholder) disables the security system to offer shelter to a wounded stranger, their privileged existence takes a dangerous turn.

Throughout the movie, the Sandins face threats from masked attackers and their own neighbors. They grapple with moral dilemmas and question whether one life holds more value than their own. The night ends tragically for James, leading to a dark conclusion. However, director DeMonaco recently hinted that the Sandin family might make a return, as he discussed the future of the franchise in an interview with FilmSweep’s Perri Nemiroff.

Image via USA

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The Purge Takes a Toll on Mary Sandin’s Soul

Nemiroff inquired about the fate of the surviving members of the Sandin family and how the traumatic night affected them. DeMonaco expressed his enthusiasm to revisit the family and explore the psychological scars they would have incurred. He believed that the family would have left their community, with Mary, portrayed by Headey, never truly finding solace in what the Purge represented. In contrast, James saw its potential for financial gain in a capitalist society, which ultimately led to his downfall.

“Absolutely. I always wanted to follow them up,” DeMonaco confirmed. “And listen, if the strike ends and we get a chance, there is talk of doing an interesting take on a TV show where I would be able to do that because we’d be able to explore very intimate Purge stories, but I don’t know if that’s true, but I hope.” DeMonaco continued, stating:

“I think they move away. I would say they would do what I did. I think a family that experiences that much trauma and loss on that night – and Lena’s character I always thought, way more than James, the Lena Headey character was questioning The Purge in a way that he wasn’t. He was just accepting the financial rewards of selling security systems. Lena always said she wanted to play it like she was dead inside, that the mere fact that The Purge existed had killed her soul.

So she kind of wanted to play it, and I think she plays it beautifully. She’s constantly kind of looking at her reflections and contemplating quietly what this all means. I think if you experience that level of trauma, you exit the country rather quickly. I don’t think you can support a government system that sanctions such events. I always wanted to follow the Sandins on that journey to another country, which is what I envisioned. But perhaps that country also begins purging, and the cycle of chaos continues in the world.”

The Purge Explores Deeper Themes

Nemiroff further mentioned that television could provide an opportunity to delve into more intimate storylines within the broader narrative of ‘The Purge’ universe. As the later films expanded into sprawling action stories across cities, focusing on the 99% who lacked access to security systems like the Sandins, DeMonaco agreed that television could present a platform for exploring smaller narratives surrounding the event. However, he couldn’t disclose specific details about his plans.

Acknowledging that television allows for a more profound exploration of the Purge’s meaning to different groups, DeMonaco highlighted that while the films aimed to deliver explosive summer experiences, television provided a space for nuanced storytelling.

“Absolutely. That’s what I was thinking. I think it would be a great way – I can’t give away the conceit, but it opens it up in a way that the canvas would be, we can pay attention to a lot of people,” he explained. “The movies always have to be, as you know, they’re summer releases, July 4th. They have this kind of momentum, like a punch in the face. I always say I’m not the most nuanced filmmaker in ‘The Purge’ world because we’re kind of just really slamming both the messaging and the story points home in that 95 minutes we have.” DeMonaco further emphasized the benefits of television storytelling:

“The beauty of TV, what I’m learning is, I’m definitely more of a film guy, but what I’m learning about TV in watching TV and learning more about it is that the real estate just allows you to dive deeper into things that you can never do in a movie. Take your time to really explain why someone would pick up a gun on that night and what drives them to this decision in a way that I really can’t do in the film. So I think it would be great. And we can get into more detailed things of what happened to the Sandin family. Even other characters throughout that people have fallen in love with. We can get into that. I think the conceit of the show, if it happens, will allow entry into smaller films and revisiting characters, too.”

The release date for ‘The Purge 6’ has yet to be announced. All previous ‘The Purge’ movies are available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray. You can watch Nemiroff’s conversation with DeMonaco in the video above, and the trailer for the original movie is available below.

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