Blumhouse Productions hasn't yet announced The Purge 3. But with The Purge Anarchy earning better reviews from critics, and bigger box office than it's predecessor, a third installment in the dystopian horror franchise seems all but guaranteed. And now we have an idea of where the third movie might go, thanks to one of the stars of the last film.
Yesterday, I sat down with Michael K. Williams for his new film Kill The Messenger. Aside from that thriller, we talked his Marvel past, his Marvel ambitions, and what he has to look forward to in The Purge 3. When I asked if he was attached to the film, he nodded and added, "Yes, most definitely."
In The Purge: Anarchy, Williams played Carmelo Johns, an advocate against the annual event that spurs Americans to mayhem and murder one day a year. In pirate radio broadcasts, Johns declares that The Purge is actually a conspiracy of class warfare that allows the rich to openly prey on the poor. His claims became a bloody reality in the film's thrilling final act, where Johns comes out of the shadows to kick some ass.
"He was tons of fun," Williams said. "They set him up."
Set him up for what? Williams was reluctant to say.
It's unknown if a script is in place. But here's the direction we suspect The Purge 3 will take. The first two films set up a world where The Purge enables murder to occur without legal recourse. The first film centered on the rich essentially cannibalizing each other over petty aggressions. But The Purge: Anarchy took this murder spree premise to the streets of a big city, where the rich were hiring others to bring them victims for their blood lust. Or in some cases, the rich were sweeping buildings to make way for smoother gentrification.
Carmelo Johns was set up as the leader of the revolution against this kill-the-poor conspiracy. And with Michael K. Williams attached and eager for The Purge 3, we speculate Johns will play a central role in the film. Perhaps he'll reteam with Frank Grillo's bitter cop, who not only survived The Purge: Anarchy but won praise from critics and fans alike for his Dirty Harry-style portrayal. Could this mean The Purge 3 will follow the plot line of revolution?
With a premise as prime for violence as The Purge, there are a lot of possibilities for the third installment that has yet to be announced. But frankly, Blumhouse would be mad not to take advantage of the fan response to Grillo and William's hard-to-kill rebels.
Revisit the buzz of The Purge: Anarchy with this trailer:
We'll give you more on this story as it develops.
