"I didn't think it had any mainstream appeal"- The Purge director reveals he did not plan for franchise success

The Purge is one of the most well-known horror franchises in Hollywood right now. However, this was not always the vision for director James DeMonaco, who thought of nothing more than creating an indie horror film back in 2013.

With five films already released and a sixth one on the way, The Purge is easily one of the most profitable horror franchises. The stats for the series are also quite shocking, as it has grossed a total of $450 million while being made on a combined budget of only $53 million.

In a recent interview with Collider, DeMonaco, who originally started the franchise with the 2013 film, claimed that he had no idea that the horror flick could get any mainstream attention, let alone become a series-spawning giant.

He said:

"I never thought it would play in any multiplex across the country when I wrote it. This franchise is 10 years old, but the idea of the movie is 20 years old. And when it was conceived, we thought it would just play at the Angelika [Film Center]. That was it.

"We thought it would be this tiny indie horror thriller, and I didn't think it had any mainstream appeal. I think we counted 80 passes because the script was so anti-American. So we just assumed if we do get it made, it's gonna play in a very small venue like the Angelika, which was my favorite theater when I went to NYU."

DeMonaco also expressed his shock at the popularity of his own movies because of the anti-American messages about guns and violence in the franchise.

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"I was hoping to put a mirror up to our own society": DeMonaco reveals his anti-gin stance that led to The Purge

Even if The Purge's message was mostly lost on viewers, it was always gun violence and the growing obsession with crime in America that led James DeMonaco to the franchise.

Speaking about his initial idea behind The Purge, DeMonaco said:

"I think people question what they would do in that situation...But I was hoping to put a mirror up to our own society and our relationship with violence and guns. Also the political climate I saw rising over a decade ago, when I wrote the piece, has gotten even more pronounced in the eight years since Trump. This discord that’s rising in the body politic… that’s gotten worse and worse, and we just kept reflecting that."

He also revealed earlier that the script for the sixth The Purge film is also ready, which means that fans will not have to wait very long before seeing another rampaging movie on the big screen.

DeMonaco disclosed a few details about the upcoming sixth film in a previous interview, claiming that though it will not be very different from the previous five movies, it will take viewers to a new America, which could both be exciting and dangerous.

More details about The Purge 6 will be available soon.