Frank Grillo is in final negotiations to return to star in Universal, Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes’ “The Purge 3.”
“The Purge” franchise creator James DeMonaco is back to write and direct the latest sequel. Jason Blum is producing along with Sebastien Lemercier and Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller through their Platinum Dunes banner.
The films take place in a future where one day each year all crime is legalized for a 12-hour period, described by the government as “the Purge.” In “Anarchy,” Grillo played Sergeant, a man who seeks revenge on the night of the Purge, only to get pulled into protecting a group of people who are left without shelter as purging begins.
The pic is set to bow on July 1, 2016. “The Purge,” released in 2013, was Blumhouse’s first production under its first-look deal with Universal. The sci-fi thriller, starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey and set in the year 2022, became a major success with $89 million at the global box office on a production budget of $3 million.
Scheduling hurdles with his DirecTV show “Kingdom” threatened Grillo’s ability to reprise his role. Insiders now say, however, that the issues have been worked out. Grillo can wrap the current season of “Kingdom,” which premieres this fall, as well as shoot “The Purge 3,” which will begin filming in September.
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Besides “Kingdom,” Grillo recently finished shooting on “Captain America: Civil War,” in which he is reprising his role of Crossbones. Before that, he was shooting the sci-fi action pic “Beyond Skyline” opposite “The Raid” star Iko Uwais. He can be seen next in the Akiva Goldsman pic “Stephanie.”
He is repped by CAA, Management 360 and Erik Hyman.
Blumhouse has “The Gift” coming out this weekend, starring Joel Edgerton and Jason Bateman. It holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
