The Purge quickly became one of the hottest action-horror franchises of this decade and possibly of all time, with The Purge: Election Year finishing what many believed to be the end of the trilogy. James DeMonaco, the creator of the franchise, believed otherwise. He has brought together a powerful team of producers and actors to create the origin story of the whole franchise, The First Purge. The film has released its first trailer today. Check it out below!

The First Purge tells the story of the creation of the “National Holiday” the Purge, where any crime, including murder, is completely legal for 12 hours. It began as a sociological experiment by the New Founding Fathers of America, where crime would become legal in an isolated community in an attempt to see if the crime rate would go below 1% for the rest of the year. After the theory does not go as planned, higher ups begin to take things into their own hands, creating essentially the most cruel national holiday and horrible event of the year.

The film features a talented cast that includes Y’lan Noel, Patrick Darragh, Lex Scott Davis, Steve Harris, Marisa Tomei, and Melonie Diaz. The film is directed by Gerard McMurray and is written by creator James DeMonaco. The film is set to release this Independence Day.