The Purge (film series)

The Purge
Directed by James DeMonaco
Produced by
Written by James DeMonaco
Starring See below
Production
company
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
 2013 – present
Country United States
Language English
Budget Total (2 films):
$12 million
Box office Total (2 films):
$201,256,992

The Purge is a series of American social science fiction action horror films written and directed by James DeMonaco. It currently consists of two films: The Purge in 2013 and The Purge: Anarchy in 2014. A third film is due for release on July 1, 2016. The series takes place in a future America where every year there is a 12-hour period during which all crime, including murder, is legal.

Background

In the late 2010s, "The New Founding Fathers of America" have established a new totalitarian government and a police state, following economic collapse. Using the 28th amendment of the U.S Constitution, the government has established one night a year - called "The Purge", which occurs on March 21 to 22, in which all crime is legal and all police, fire, and medical emergency services remain unavailable for 12 hours from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next day. The only rules are that no government officials with authorization levels of 10 and higher are to be disturbed and all weapons above Class 4 (explosive devices such as grenades, rocket launchers, bazookas, etc.) are forbidden. Anyone who violates the rules of the Purge would be publicly executed by hanging. The purge has resulted in crime and unemployment rates plummeting to 1% and a strong economy. Although it is thought to be used as an act of catharsis for the U.S. populace, in reality, it is used as a method of artificial population control as the unemployed poor in slum neighborhoods are usually the main targets.

Overview

The Purge (2013)

Main article: The Purge

The Purge stars Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller, Rhys Wakefield and Arija Bareikis. A Los Angeles family witness a group of young adults wielding guns and wearing masks approach the house. Their leader unmasks himself and warns them via the cameras that the man they have taken in is homeless and a prime target for the Purge and if they don't return the man within an hour, they will break into the house and kill everyone.

Despite mixed reviews, the film grossed $89.3 million during its run, far surpassing its $3 million budget. The film was turned into a scare zone for 2014's annual Halloween Horror Nights due to its success.

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Main article: The Purge: Anarchy

The Purge: Anarchy stars Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Zoë Soul and Michael K. Williams while Edwin Hodge reprises his role of "The Stranger" from the first movie.[1] It was released worldwide on July 18, 2014.[2] The story follows a couple whose car is disabled by a Purge gang while waiting for the annual rites, a mother and a daughter, and an off-duty police sergeant out for revenge due to his son's death, who team together on the streets to try to survive the annual purge.

The film was met with generally mixed reviews, though many critics agreed it was an improvement over the first film, and was a box office success, grossing $111.9 million compared to its $9 million budget.

The Purge: Election Year (2016)

In August 2014, Jason Blum, who produced the Purge films, announced that a third installment is in the works. The third film is set to be released on July 1, 2016[3] in which Frank Grillo and Edwin Hodge reprises their role from the previous film and is joined by Elizabeth Mitchell. On October 6, it was announced that James DeMonaco would be back for the third film to write and direct, while producers Sebastian Lemercier, Blumhouse Productions’ Jason Blum, and Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form would also be back. Shooting began on September 16th in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.[4] Fifteen years after the events of the film, the police sergeant now works for a female Senator who lost her family to the Purge 15 years ago. Now he must protect her during the Purge after a betrayal within the government targets her for death.

Characters

Character Film
The Purge
(2013)		 Anarchy
(2014)		 Election Year
(2016)
James Sandin Ethan Hawke  
Mary Sandin Lena Headey  
Zoey Sandin Adelaide Kane  
Charlie Sandin Max Burkholder  
"The Stranger" Edwin Hodge
Sergeant (Leo Barnes)   Frank Grillo
Eva Sanchez   Carmen Ejogo  
Shane   Zach Gilford  
Liz   Kiele Sanchez  
Cali Sanchez   Zoë Soul  
Carmelo   Michael K. Williams  
Charlie Roan   Elizabeth Mitchell

Reception

Box office performance

Film Release date Box office gross Box office ranking Budget Ref(s)
North America Other
territories		 Worldwide All time
North America		 All time
worldwide
The Purge June 7, 2013 $64,473,115 $24,855,512 $89,328,627 #1,072 $3 million [5]
The Purge: Anarchy July 18, 2014 $71,962,800 $39,965,565 $111,928,365 #969 $9 million [6]
Total $136,435,915 $64,821,077 $201,256,992 $12 million [7]
List indicator(s)
  • A dark grey cell indicates the information is not available for the film.

Critical and public response

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
The Purge 38% (137 reviews)[8] 41 (33 reviews)[9] C[10]
The Purge: Anarchy 56% (122 reviews)[11] 50 (32 reviews)[12] B[10]
Average 47% 46 B–

References

  1. ↑ "The Purge 2 Promo Art". MovieWeb.com. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Universal Re-Slots The Purge: Anarchy". Deadline.com. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  3. ↑ Natalie Stone (8 January 2015). "'The Purge 3' Gets 2016 Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter.
  4. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (October 6, 2014). "‘The Purge’ Scares Up Third Film With Director James DeMonaco". deadline.com. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ "The Purge". Box Office Mojo. January 9, 2015.
  6. ↑ "The Purge: Anarchy". Box Office Mojo. January 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Purge Moviesat the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. January 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Purge (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Warner Bros. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  9. ↑ "The Purge". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  10. 1 2 "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  11. ↑ "The Purge: Anarchy". Rotten Tomatoes. July 17, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  12. ↑ "The Purge: Anarchy". Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-10-07.

External links

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