The Purgeis now part of the $500 million club. Things have been a bit odd at the box office (to say the very least of it) for the last year and change. There is no question about that. And with big movies such asBlack Widow, F9andSpace Jam: A New Legacydominating the conversation, some things have been pushed to the side. LikeThe Forever Purge, for example. But the fifth entry in the franchise has been doing decent business and somewhat quietly, has pushed the horror series past this hugely important milestone.
Released ahead of 4th of July weekend,The Forever Purge, the fifth entry in the horror franchise, has raked in $55.1 million globally so far at thebox office, including $40.3 million domestically. Coupled with the takes of the previous four movies,The Purgeseries now sits at $516 million worldwide. That is a remarkable figure considering the relatively humble beginning of the series nearly a decade ago. And especially when we consider that, combined, these movies only cost $53 million to produce, not accounting for marketing. That means Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures have earned nearly ten times the budgets in ticket sales. That is one heck of a return.
The Purge movies, generally speaking, center on a 12-hour period of time, in which, all crime is made legal by the government in the United States. Even murder. The first movie, which starred Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, kept things pretty contained. But the world has been explored more thoroughly in the sequels. Not to mention the TV show, which ran for two seasons, airing on USA Network. Though not generally well-liked by critics, the movies have consistently brought audiences to theaters en masse.
WhileThe Forever Purgestill presumably has some legs at the box office, especially overseas, it is currently the lowest-grossing entry in the series. 2018’sThe First Purge, which served as a prequel, is currently the highest-earning entry, with $137 million. 2013’sThe Purge, which kicked off director James DeMonaco’s series, earned a stellar $91 million against a $3 million budget. That paved the way for thegovernment-sanctioned carnageto continue for the past eight years. And it is likely to keep going from here.
Originally, creator James DeMonaco billedThe Forever Purgeas thefinal entry in the series. It certainly took the concept to the next level, with many U.S. citizens extending The Purge well beyond the 12-hour window. But just ahead of the movie’s release, DeMonaco revealed that he has an idea forThe Purge 6, which would involve bringing back Frank Grillo’s character fromThe Purge: AnarchyandThe Purge: Election Year. If all goes well, the filmmaker explained that the movie could even shoot as early as next year. Given the harsh circumstances at the box office currently, based on this entry’s performance, it is hard to imagine the studio saying no to another installment. These figures come to us viaThe Numbers.
