For those fond of some (fictional) purging, 2018 heralds a tantalizing double bill from Blumhouse and Universal.
On the one hand, we have The First Purge, a movie prequel set to deep dive into the New Founding Fathers of America and explain how (and why) they authorized that 12-hour window of ungodly mayhem in the first place. And then comes The Purge, a spinoff TV series that chronicles the story of four people who experienced Purge Night and lived to tell the tale.
It spans 10 episodes in total, and as you’ll see from today’s thrilling teaser trailer, director Anthony Hemingway calls upon flashbacks to journey beyond the madness and explore the goings-on of a future America that allows for 12 hours of annual anarchy – not only that, but it encourages it.
Among the cast for this one are Gabriel Chavarria, Jessica Garza, Hannah Emily Anderson, Lili Simmons, Amanda Warren, Colin Woodell, Lee Tergesen, William Baldwin, Fiona Dourif and Reed Diamond.
When asked to gauge the show’s screentime between Purge Night and those non-Purge days, franchise creator James DeMonaco previously told EW that The Purge TV series operates on a ratio of 3:1 in that the majority of the plot unfolds on Purge Night, the craziest 12 hours on the calendar.
Per Blumhouse:
Based on the hit movie franchise from Blumhouse Productions, The Purge revolves around a 12-hour period when all crime, including murder, is legal. Set in an altered America ruled by a totalitarian political party, the series follows several seemingly unrelated characters living in a small city. As the clock winds down, each character is forced to reckon with their past as they discover how far they will go to survive the night.
And so, once Blumhouse and Universal roll back the years to explore The First Purge, all eyes will turn toward USA Network in anticipation of The Purge TV series. September 4th is the date for your diaries – one week before the return of American Horror Story.