The release date for The Forever Purge has changed in response to Top Gun: Maverick's delay. The upcoming film is the fifth and final installment in the horror franchise The Purge. The series kicked off with the 2013 movie of the same name, which takes place in a dystopia where all crime is legal for an annually held 12-hour period. The majority of the films in the franchise have received mixed reviews but have achieved box office success. The Purge also spawned a USA Network TV series, though it was cancelled in 2020 after two seasons.
The First Purge is the most recent movie in the series, releasing in July 2018. It's a prequel showing how the first Purge came to be. For this reason, The Purge 5 is instead a direct sequel to 2016's The Purge: Election Year, picking up where the events of that film left off. The Forever Purge was originally set to release in July 2020. However, it was delayed in May due to the pandemic and was without a release date for a couple of months. Over the summer, Universal announced The Purge 5 would instead release on July 9.
Now, per THR's Borys Kit, The Forever Purge has moved again, this time up a week to July 2. The news comes just after Paramount made the announcement the Tom Cruise-led Top Gun: Maverick was delayed four months to November 19, 2021. The film was previously scheduled to come out on July 2, with Universal quickly swooping in to claim the spot.
Though one week may not make much of a difference to those waiting for The Purge 5, the release date change is a smart move on Universal's part. Like 2020, this year will be unprecedented for the movie industry. While last year saw companies frantically pulling their films as it became clear they couldn't safely release them to theaters, 2021 presents the opposite problem. Now, it's looking increasingly likely major blockbusters will be able to release very soon, but there are a limited number of spots available where movies have any chance at success. The speediness of Universal's decision shows it's very much aware of this.
All of 2021's releases will have the added boost of moviegoers who haven't been to a theater in ages thrilled to spend time in one. However, this year is also set to have an unheard of number of films release to theaters, and there's no way for them all to be hits, despite increased audience anticipation. It's impossible to know now which movies will come out ahead, but it's clear Universal is hoping The Purge 5 will be one of its success stories.
Source: Borys Kit