The Purge 6 Star Claims Hopeful Sequel Will Definitively End the Franchise

The Purge franchise launched in 2013 with the debut film and has spawned a global phenomenon, as the concept has cemented itself as a reference for sanctioned lawlessness, and frequent star Frank Grillo claims that if The Purge 6 ends up happening, it'll be the final chapter in the saga. In addition to earning five feature films and taking in millions at the global box office, the concept of 12 hours in which violent crimes are legal also inspired two seasons of a TV series. With each installment seeing dwindling returns, Grillo confirms it's a matter of whether or not Universal Pictures wants to actually spend the money to bring the project to life.

"The script is done. It basically centers around Leo Barnes, my character. It would be the last of the last of the last, it's like the guy who keeps retiring," Grillo confirmed to Screen Rant. "[Franchise creator] James DeMonaco is going to direct it, if it happens, and it's a matter of money. It's a matter of how big they want the movie to be, how much money they want to spend on the movie, considering they've done a lot in this franchise. But it's a great script."

Grillo starred in the second and third installments of the series, The Purge: Anarchy and The Purge: Election Year, which feasibly served as a contained trilogy. 2018 saw the debut of The First Purge, which explored the creation of the violent tradition, while 2021's The Forever Purge took place after the events of the first three movies and delivered a world in which the violence failed to be contained to 12 hours.

DeMonaco similarly expressed last year that he was ready to move forward on the film, though that it was a decision that was up to Universal, while also hinting at the intense nature of the world he has created.

"I wrote the script. Universal has seen it," the filmmaker confirmed to The Playlist last July. "There are concerns about budget, but it definitely presents a fractured America ... The America I present in Purge 6 is where we are all separated by ideology and sexual preference. So, the states are broken down in different ways."

He continued, "It's written, it's in [Universal's] hands. I think they're scared about the budget. But my thing was if I was going to come back and direct a sixth one, it was going to be something bigger and a little more epic in scope, with this new America I want to present and bringing back [Frank Grillo's] character. So, it's kinda in limbo."

Stay tuned for updates on a possible The Purge 6.

Are you hoping the sequel gets brought to life? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!