The Purge franchise continues to expand and evolve with each passing installment. Though the first entry in the series was little more than a straightforward home invasion thriller, every subsequent movie in The Purge's mythology has expanded the lore and pushed the dial forward in some way. Now things are going to take a step back in time with The First Purge, and a propaganda trailer for the fourth (but canonically first) film in the series has officially hit the web. Check it out, below.
Despite the bright, cheery, and downright patriotic tone of the video, it is arguably pretty easy to see there's a subtly sinister tone to the entire thing. It plays a like a political campaign ad, and implores the audience to embrace America's greatness by indulging in a brand new tradition known as "The Purge." We do not know much else about the underlying story of The First Purge, but this teaser makes it pretty clear that we are looking at the origins of The New Founding Fathers' reign of terror.
The First Purge has evolved since we initially reported on its development. Last year we heard that the film was actually going to be called The Purge: The Island, and similarly focus on the night of the first-ever Purge in America. Now it seems that the prequel angle is still being embraced, but the title is shifting to maintain more of a big-picture focus on The Purge itself, rather than the fact that it will take place on an island.
With this initial trailer setting the tone of The First Purge, the wait for real footage has officially begun. The film is bringing in a new cast of characters to reflect its earlier status on the franchise timeline, so we will just have to wait and see how who will live and who will die as more teasers and clips become available to us.
Behind the scenes, there's a lot to get excited about in the world of The Purge. Blumhouse Productions is once again producing the latest installment in the franchise, and the horror-focused company is riding high off of a series of hits that includes Happy Death Day and Jordan Peele's Oscar-nominated horror satire, Get Out. With so much success backing Blumhouse's recent endeavors, it could potentially embolden the folks behind The First Purge to take even more risks and try new things with the franchise.
The First Purge will debut on the big screen later this summer on July 4. As for the rest of the films that will debut on the big screen in 2018 (including some seriously exciting horror flicks) you can check out our movie premiere guide to get a better sense of everything on the horizon!
