As we’ve learned on more occasions than we can remember, never trust anyone in Hollywood when they tell you their latest sequel marks the end of a franchise. That was the talk in the buildup to the release of The Forever Purge, but creator James DeMonaco has already backtracked by admitting he’s working on a sixth film in the series.
Of course, this hardly news when Frank Grillo revealed he’d spoken to the filmmaker about reprising his role as Leo Barnes from Anarchy and Election Year as far back as January, and that’s looking like the direction things are headed. By the standards of the pandemic era, The Forever Purge is already a hit having recouped its $18 million budget despite only releasing last Friday, so the odds are definitely in the favor of yet another installment.
Following on from producer Jason Blum’s previous comments about wanting to make as many as possible, DeMonaco doubled down on his sentiment that The Purge 6 isn’t happening without Grillo making his return to the fold.
“Dude, my Purge 6 idea is all about Frank. It’s all about the Leo character. Without giving anything away, I think he’s off on his own, but he’s going to be called back into action, hopefully on Purge 6, if we’re lucky enough to do it. I hope that Leo comes back. That’s the goal. When I came up with Purge 6, he was the center of the idea. I’m hoping that we get to do that with him.”
If there’s one thing Frank Grillo loves more than roundhouse kicking people in the face, shooting people or taking his shirt off in a movie, it’s starring in them. Since the beginning of 2018, the 56 year-old has lent his grizzled charisma and undeniable badassery to fourteen features, and he’s got another five in various stages of production, so the guy clearly loves to work.
As to where The Purge 6 could be headed? Looking at the latest chapter, all bets are off, but if Grillo does make a triumphant comeback then asses will most certainly be kicked, especially if things pick up from where Forever left them.