Michael K. Williams And Frank Grillo May Lead The Purge 3; Carmen Ejogo Wants Out

Though Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey just about held their own in the first Purge, Blumhouse must have known it was onto better things when Frank Grillo and Michael K. Williams stepped up to the plate for sequel The Purge: Anarchy. In the lead role, Grillo was all badass machismo and exactly the type of action star you don’t see much of these days. And Williams injected some much-needed intrigue into the story as a freedom fighter defying the totalitarian Founding Fathers. Now, it appears both stars are back for The Purge 3.

We exclusively reported back in July that Williams would be returning as YouTube revolutionary Carmelo and was being upgrading from a supporting cast member to a lead. Now, during press interviews for his upcoming Mark Wahlberg dramedy The Gambler, the actor has revealed that Grillo is also likely to rejoin him for The Purge 3:

“From what I understand there will be a Purge 3 and it’s been, from what I understand – this is just rumor mill – it’s been greenlit and you can definitely look to see Frank Grillo and my character, our characters collide and come together and go after the real bad guys … as of right now don’t quote me, but that’s what I’ve been hearing.”

Of course, Williams lacks the authority to give us a definitive answer, but it makes sense that writer-director James DeMonaco would want to return to Grillo’s character, seeing as he made such an impression in Anarchy. What Williams says about them going “after the real bad guys” is tremendously exciting as well – the Founding Fathers have lurked in the background of the first two movies, but having Grillo and Williams’ characters team up to take the fight to them should allow for some exciting developments for the franchise.

And though Williams and Grillo seem game for more, one Anarchy actress has made no secret of her desire to depart. Carmen Ejogo, who is currently courting Oscar buzz for her formidable performance in Ava DuVernay’s Selma, was recently asked if she was ready for round three and replied:

“No. [Laughs] You know, as an actress, the thing I’ve always loved about acting is that you get to change.”

Fair enough. If I were eyeing awards attention for a serious role, coming back for the third Purge would be the farthest thing from my mind, too.

Tell us, are you excited that Williams and Grillo appear to be set for The Purge 3 (which I’m officially predicting will be titled The Purge: Revolution), or would you rather the series turned its focus to a new group of characters for the next entry? Let us know below!