The Purge: Anarchy Gets Pushed To July

The release of The Purge: Anarchy has been delayed for almost a month, pushing it deeper into the summer schedule and into a face-off with Jupiter Ascending.

The film is the sequel to the commercially successful 2013 horror flick The Purge, in which the near-future US Government implements a 12-hour period of “catharsis.” During this time-window, all criminal activity is legal, including violent crime. Written and directed by James DeMonaco, the film starred Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, and was produced by the micro-budget horror maestro over at Blumhouse Productions. With a budget of just $3 million, The Purge went on to make over $89 million at the box office, despite mixed reviews.

The Purge: Anarchy is again written and directed by DeMonaco, although this time his stars are Kiele Sanchez and Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights, Devil’s Due). The plot will take a second look at this near-future nightmare as a young couple are faced with a struggle to survive when their car breaks down on the streets of a crowded, crime-ridden city just before the annual Purge is set to begin.

Originally due for release on June 20, The Purge: Anarchy will now arrive in cinemas on July 2 in the UK and July 18 in the US. This sets it in direct competition with the US release of Jupiter Ascending – the forthcoming sci-fi action adventure film from Andy and Lana Wachowski. The UK release of Jupiter Ascending does not take place until July 25.

Though Jupiter Ascending would seem to be the better bet for the top box office slot on July 2, with more recognizable names in cast members Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, the Wachowskis have not enjoyed commercial success for over a decade, since their Matrix Trilogy was at the height of its popularity. Neither Speed Racer (2008) nor Cloud Atlas (2012) were particularly well-received at the box office. The Purge: Anarchy, on the other hand, makes up in commercial viability what it lacks in bankable stars. The Blumhouse Productions micro-budget ethos almost guarantees the profitability of the film before it’s even out of the can.

Predictions can prove foolhardy, however, and we will have to wait until July 18 2014 to see if it is Anarchy or Jupiter that ascends to the top of the US box office charts.