There are many reasons why The Purge: Anarchy is better than the original Purge, but near the top of the list is the presence of Frank Grillo. Not only is the guy awesome in a general sense, he put on a terrific performance in a nameless role. Thankfully, the end of the sequel kept the door open for his potential return in a part three, and now new reports are saying that the upcoming film is looking to bring the star back.
Variety has the scoop on this story, saying that Frank Grillo is now in final negotiations with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions for The Purge 3. The film, which is set up for release next summer, will once again be both written and directed by series creator James DeMonaco... though at this time there's no information regarding what we can expect from the movie's plot.
In The Purge: Anarchy, Grillo played a character credited as Sergeant - a man who has spent months entirely despondent due to the death of his young son. When Purge night roles around - the evening held once per year where for 12 hours all crime is legal - Sergeant crafts a plan to take revenge on the man he sees responsible for his loss: the drunk driver who hit the kid with his car. His plan goes awry when he winds up teaming with a group of strangers to try and survive the night - but when given the opportunity for revenge at the end of the movie he chooses against it. Instead, he winds up getting shot in the chest, but it's implied (and seemingly now confirmed) that he made it to a hospital in enough time to survive.
When I spoke with Frank Grillo at the press junket prior to the release of The Purge: Anarchy, I asked what he thought of being in a third Purge movie, and he told me,
If people go to the theater and they like the movie, or they just go to the theater, we have some ideas for another one.
People definitely showed up, and people definitely liked the sequel, which is why we're now getting a Purge 3. Outpacing its predecessor both domestically and abroad, the $9 million-budged The Purge: Anarchy made $110 million worldwide before it was at the end of its theatrical run. The movie also got mostly positive reviews, and was more acclaimed than the first.
There was a possibility that Frank Grillo's commitment to the upcoming series Kingdom would interfere with his ability to be in The Purge 3, but insiders say that the scheduling has been worked out so that the actor can work on both projects. The movie is going to be going into production next month, and the finished result will be in theaters on July 1, 2016.
