We’ve been conditioned not to believe anyone who says the latest installment in a money-spinning franchise will be the last, so we were always skeptical when creator James DeMonaco touted The Forever Purge as the final entry in the dystopian series.
Sure enough, Frank Grillo confirmed that he was on his way back as Leo Barnes, with DeMonaco admitting the only way he’s making the film is with Grillo’s involvement, or he’s not doing it all. That particular trail may have gone cold in the last few months, but The Forever Purge has exploded in popularity on streaming.
As per FlixPatrol, last year’s decent-sized box office hit is the number one most-watched movie on HBO Max around the world, proving that there’s definitely still an appetite for watching any sense of societal decorum go out of the window for one night of the year.
A 49% Rotten Tomatoes score is bang average, but the 78% user rating shows that audiences were on board for more violent shenanigans, this time following two ranch hands who find themselves in a desperate battle for survival when a gang of Purgers set their sights on a wealthy Texas family.
A $77 million haul from theaters on an $18 million budget in spite of the pandemic, coupled with an impressive showing on streaming, makes it pretty clear there’s plenty of gas left in The Purge‘s tank.