Surprising absolutely no one, The Purge 3 has gone into development from Universal, Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes. The first two films in the franchise – which takes in place in an alternate future, where violent crime is legal for one night out of every year – cost a total of $12 million to produce, but have collectively grossed almost $200 million worldwide.
Deadline reports that James DeMonaco, who wrote and directed the first two installments, will return for The Purge 3, which will probably get its own subtitle down the road, like this summer’s The Purge: Anarchy.
There is no word about what the plot of The Purge 3 will be, although it’s probably going to take place on the night of the annual purge, just like the previous two films in the series. The first Purge was about a family trying to stay out of the psychotic festivities who had to fend off maniacs in their own house. The Purge: Anarchy was about people stuck outside during the massacre, desperately trying to get home. The second film in the series also introduced elements of revolution and conspiracy that James DeMonaco will likely wish to expand upon in future installments.
Blumhouse is a famously expedient production company, and churned out The Purge: Anarchy barely a year after the release of the first film. Since “The Purge” is an annual tradition, it seems likely that The Purge 3 – which does not have an official release date yet – will be ready for a 2015 release.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.