The New Founding Fathers of America will unleash their patented brand of corrupt catharsis on television viewers whenThe PurgeTV series lands on USA September 4th. The show is written and executive produced by franchise mastermind James DeMonaco, who stepped away from the director’s chair for the last feature film in the series,The First Purge(released last July). His return is significant and not just because it assures us the property is in good hands; the10-episode seriesseems to have reinvigorated the filmmaker’s personal commitment toThe Purgefranchise. Here’s what he told Entertainment Weekly last May.
“About five months ago, I would have said that [I was done withThe Purgemovies]. Then we started writing all these scripts forPurgeTV, and I realized how manyPurgestories could be told, and what it is a metaphor for, and realized, maybe not? I don’t know if I’ll direct any more but I do like still writingPurge, so I think maybe, maybe.”
For the uninitiated, here’s the gist ofThe Purge:
“Based on the hit movie franchise from Blumhouse Productions,The Purgerevolves arounda 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.The Purgeis written and executive produced by the film franchise creator James DeMonaco and led by Jason Blum.”
Today, the folks at USA dropped a series of 6 stunning character posters forThe PurgeTV series; each one asks “Will You Hide or Will You Seek?” It’s a question that bubbles below the surface of each franchise installment: What would you do? Of course, those familiar withThe Purgeknow that the game is rigged, so playing it safe isn’t always an option; in the land of The New Founding Fathers, unexpected confrontations are inevitable. DeMonaco said this aboutThe PurgeTV series at last month’s San Diego Comic-Con:
“We see how this society exists within thePurgelandscape,how people act towards each other in this world. It’s a much more polite society… And [the show] also [answers] questions we’ve been asked. What happens in hospitals on Purge night?”
For the most part,The Purgefilms featureunique plotlines and charactersfor each installment, making the franchise versatile and enduring; the politically-charged overtones also resonate with many of today’s most pressing issues and shared societal anxieties. In many ways, the franchise becomes more relevant the longer it continues, serving as potentially prophetic warning.The PurgeTV series will star Amanda Warren, Colin Woodell (Unsane), Gabriel Chavarria, and Jessica Garza. Emmy and Golden Globe award-winner Anthony Hemingway is directing and producing the first episode. Thanks toIGNfor the posters!
