It was just a little less than eight years ago that writer/director James DeMonaco introduced us to The Purge – a cinematic alternate reality where the United States is taken over by a new political party that mandates an annual 12-hour period when all crime is legal. That film turned out to be a big surprise hit, and we've taken a long journey with the movies since, going through Anarchy, Election Year, a prequel exploration of The First Purge, and even a television show. Now the franchise is set to make a return to the big screen, and it will do so with The Forever Purge launching this summer.
Following the film's pandemic related delays, the first trailer for The Forever Purge is now online, and it gives us not only a glimpse at a very different story set to unfold, but also a considerable number of shocking visuals. Like the case with The First Purge, James DeMonaco has written the screenplay for the film, and taking over director duties for the series is Everardo Gout, who is best known for his small screen work on series including National Geographic's Mars, Luke Cage, Snowpiercer, and The Terror.
While all four of the previous movies in the franchise have been primarily set during the terrifying 12-hour stretch when murder, rape, arson, assault and more are legal, The Forever Purge quickly establishes in its trailer that it is putting a new spin on things by starting its story in the wake of a Purge. In the movie, the central characters living close to the southern border of the United States find themselves terrorized by a group of marauders who have no interest in seeing the half-day of zero consequences come to an end (hence the title). It's not specifically made clear when the film is set in relation to its predecessors, but considering that The Purge is brought to an end in the closing minutes of The Purge: Election Night, with Elizabeth Mitchell's Charlie Roan becoming president, it seems fair to assume that this new plot will be set either immediately after that final event, or at a different point on the timeline completely. The ensemble cast includes Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Josh Lucas, Cassidy Freeman, Leven Rambin, Alejandro Edda and Will Patton.
As has been the case for the last two titles in the series as well, The Forever Purge will be coming out tied to the most patriotic of all holidays: Independence Day. With the big day for fireworks and picnics on a Sunday this year, the brand new release will be available for your eyes and ears on July 2. Stay tuned here on the site for more about the film, as I recently had a great chat about the movie with Everardo Gout, and to get a glimpse at everything that is set to hit theaters and streamers before the end of December be sure to check out our 2021 Movie Release Calendar.
