The title, release date and first poster for the latest "The Purge" movie has been revealed, and the latter is not very subtle about its aim to trigger controversy.
"The First Purge," the fourth film in the dystopian horror series, is a prequel that explores how the government decides to legalize all crime for one night a year -- and the carnage that ensues on the first Purge. It was filmed in Western New York this past fall.
The poster doesn't hint at any of the bloody violence sure to come, though. Instead, it shows a simple red hat with the title "The First Purge" in a white font that looks unmistakably similar to President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" hats:
The poster also reveals the movie's release date: July 4, 2018.
The patriotic release on the Fourth of July holiday is no accident, as all the films have had political commentary mixed in with the gratuitous murder and mayhem. The third movie, 2016's "The Purge: Election Year," even had the tagline "Keep America Great" -- the same phrase Trump said would be his 2020 campaign slogan, almost a year after the movie's marketing came out.
"The First Purge" filmed largely in Buffalo last September and October, though the prequel will be set on Staten Island. It was previously known as "The Purge 4" and "The Purge: Island," though production details were kept under wraps and hundreds of extras and workers on the WNY set were forbidden from talking about it.
Now we know that it'll star Marisa Tomei, Y'Lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade and Luna Lauren Velez. The synopsis has also been released:
Behind every tradition lies a revolution. Next Independence Day, witness the rise of our country's 12 hours of annual lawlessness. Welcome to the movement that began as a simple experiment: The First Purge. To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the marginalized, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation.
"The First Purge," directed by Gerard McMurray and scripted by returning writer James DeMonaco, arrives July 4.
A "The Purge" TV series is also in the works at USA and Syfy that will explore what happens in the near-future society during the other 364 days of the year.