The Purge: Anarchy

Drama film

A speculative that shows us what occurs during The Purge outside of the confines of a suburban neighborhood, returns us to a dystopic future. Our government, now re-engineered by the New Founders of America (NFA), has sanctioned its annual 12-hour Purge to ensure that the crime rate stays below one percent for the rest of the year. With police and hospitals suspending help, it's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment or fear of retribution.

Filming in the streets of downtown Los Angeles lent itself to the gritty world of The Purge: Anarchy.

Filming in the streets of downtown lent itself to the gritty world of The Purge: Anarchy.

As evidenced by the success of The Purge, audiences were fascinated with the concept and asked themselves, “ this happened in my neighborhood?” Still, for writer/director James DeMonaco and producer Sébastien K. Lemercier, the thriller was originally intended to be a smaller film that served as a commentary on society. Truly, DeMonaco is the first to admit that he wants his films not only to entertain, but to start a conversation. He reflects: “With this series, I'm hoping to reflect something in American society about how we look at violence. It's very different than other places in the world. We've found that audiences leave the theater talking about our relationship with violence as a society.

Prior to casting, filmmakers were clear that this wouldn't be a genre piece that sacrifices character development. Therefore, it was important to spend the first 20 minutes of The Purge: Anarchy providing audiences with an intimate look into each character's situation. Says DeMonaco: “I said, ‘If we're going to do this, let's get to know these people.' I figured, if we don't care about them up front, we're not going to care about who lives or dies. I don't want sacrificial lambs who could be randomly killed on this night.

DeMonaco had previously worked with Frank Grillo on the miniseries The Kill Point, so casting the actor as the gritty and resourceful Leo was a goal. Grillo fit the mold and then some. Grillo describes coming on board the speculative thriller: “I was heading to L.A. for a trip, and James called me and said he was working on a sequel to The Purge. He described it to me before I'd even read the , and it sounded like an old Western…like The Outlaw Josey Wales. I thought it was interesting and provocative, and after he sent me the script, I was sold.

After locking in Grillo, filmmakers sought out actress to portray Eva, a passive working mother who looks to her daughter, Cali, for strength. The actress appreciated that the script had something meaningful to say. For Cali, filmmakers looked no further than up-and-comer Zoë Soul. After filming another thriller, Prisoners, Soul was interested in exploring the genre.

Ready to expand on the world he created, one with a sanctioned Purge that explodes into the streets of the city, DeMonaco and the producers assembled a talented below-the-line team to imagine the outside world they envisioned. Production designer Brad Ricker and his team designed the dystopian look in Los Angeles by utilizing houses and streets around the city and only building sets when necessary. For example, the Hunt Club was built in a warehouse in downtown Los Angeles and Eva and Cali's apartment was in an actual building, also in downtown Los Angeles.

Share this article: The Purge: Anarchy

Facebook
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Twitter
Email

MORE TOPICS

King Kong is the 2005 film directed by Peter Jackson: Another review

One of the most recent adaptations of King Kong is the 2005 film directed by Peter Jackson. This epic retelling of the tale brings Kong to life in a way never before seen on screen. At a staggering three hours in length, the film goes beyond a simple monster movie and delves deep into the…

Little Fockers

Little Fockers is an 2010 American comedy film and a sequel to both Meet the Parents (2000) and Meet the Fockers (2004) starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand.

Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Lee Daniel’s The Butler is set against the tumultuous political backdrop of 20th century America. Academy Award® nominated director Lee Daniels’ epic drama tells the story of fictional White House butler Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who serves during seven presidential administrations between 1957 and 1986.

Closed Circuit

In the international suspense thriller Closed Circuit starring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall and directed by John Crowley, a high-profile terrorism case unexpectedly binds together two ex-lovers on the defense team – testing the limits of their loyalties and placing their lives in jeopardy.

Breaking Barriers: Women Making Waves in Hollywood

Women are making waves in Hollywood and breaking down barriers in all areas of the entertainment industry. From leading roles to directing and producing, women are carving out their place in an industry that has long been dominated by men.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (also known as Spy Kids 4) is an American action-adventure family film directed by Robert Rodriguez and starring Jassica Alba, Alexa Vega and Antonio Banderas. This is the fourth film in the Spy Kids series, following on from Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.