‘The Purge 2’ Adds ‘Friday Night Lights’ And ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Alums
The Purgewriter-directorJames DeMonacoand producersJason BlumandMichael Bayare all set to return for the sequel, but so far none of the original’s stars — which included Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey — are set to return. Instead, the filmmakers have been putting together a whole new cast, starting withFrank Grilloin the lead rolelast week.
This week, Grillo is joined by four more who didn’t appear in the last film:Michael K. Williams(Boardwalk Empire),Zach Gilford(Friday Night Lights),Kiele Sanchez(A Perfect Getaway), andCarmen Ejogo(Sparkle). More about the horror sequel after the jump.
Williams first broke through in the aughts withThe Wire, and currently stars on HBO’sBoardwalk Empire. On the big screen, his credits include probable Oscar contender12 Year’s a Slaveand Jose Padilha’s upcomingRobocopreboot. Gilford is best known for playing soulful QB Matt Saracen on five seasons ofFriday Night Lights, and will kick off 2014 by starring in theRosemary’s Baby-inspiredDevil’s Due.
Sanchez will be familiar to TV viewers as Nikki fromLost, or perhaps her turn on A&E’sThe Glades. (Celebrity gossip devotees may also recognize her from her wedding this summer to Gilford.) And Ejogo spent 2013 starring on ABC’s short-lived conspiracy dramaZero Hour. The year before that, she starred inSparkleandAlex Cross.
The casting suggests that DeMonaco is thinking a bit bigger withThe Purge 2. While none of the five actors cast so far are household names, they’re still more recognizable than pretty much anyone inThe Purgenot named Ethan Hawke. Even without much star power, though, the first film went on to make $89 million worldwide on a $3 million budget.The Purge 2could make even more when it opensJune 20, 2014.
