Fans were surprised last year when Blumhouse founder Jason Blum said that USA Network and Syfy’s planned The Purge TV show would showcase the other 364 non-Purge days of the year. It left us wondering how much murder and mayhem we were actually going to be seeing. Luckily, executive producer James DeMonaco has the answer: It’s still a lot.
Ding dong! These folks are wondering how long they can Purge this season. Image: Blumhouse Films
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, DeMonaco explain that about two-thirds of The Purge TV show will take place on a Purge night. The series will focus on four different stories, juxtaposing what they do on Purge Night with flashbacks showing how the World of Purge has otherwise shaped their lives.
He said the fact that they will have 10 one-hour episodes gives them more freedom to expand their characters and their stories, rather than having it be a race to the torture porn (though don’t worry, there’s still plenty of that to be found):
The real estate of TV lets us truly analyse why anyone would resort to violence on Purge Night. So, it’s a slower burn. Whereas the movies are kind of a punch in the face – you know, these big events – I think the TV show, with the real estate of it, allows us to truly analyse why anyone would pick up a gun or a knife to solve a problem. We really get to examine the night, and the intricacies of the evening, and the nuances of the evening, and the different kinds of people who are out on the streets in a way that I just couldn’t do in the movies.
The Purge TV show has already cast Gabriel Chavarria (War for the Planet of the Apes) as a marine trying to protect his younger sister, as well as Jessica Garza (Six) as a member of a Purge-worshipping cult.
DeMonaco, who wrote and directed the first three movies – and also wrote the upcoming First Purge – said he was planning on leaving the franchise until he started coming up with ideas for The Purge TV show, adding that it’s since inspired him to maybe work on one more Purge film before exiting for good.