The Purge TV Show Moves Forward as Blumhouse & ITV Launch TV Studios
After months of being in development, a television series based on the popular horror film franchise The Purge is moving forward as Blumhouse Productions has struck a deal with ITV Studios. Ever since the first film in the series saw theatrical release back in 2013, The Purge has quickly become something of a cultural phenomenon among horror movie fans and general audiences at large. Written and directed by James DeMonaco, the series has been a great boon to the Blumhouse’s stable of original intellectual properties, with each subsequent entry in the series serving to outperform its immediate predecessor at the box office.
This upcoming series will feature an all new take on the now infamous twelve hours of legalized American crime depicted in the first three theatrical releases. Currently, plans have DeMonaco overseeing the entire program, with Blumhouse Productions more than eager to support the show in each and every way they can.
According to Deadline, Blumhouse Productions has just secured a 45 percent stake in ITV Studios, a partnership that will result in the founding of their very own Blumhouse Television production company. Blumhouse Television will be led by co-presidents Marci Wiseman and Jeremy Gold, while reporting to Blumhouse CEO and founder Jason Blum and studio president Charles Layton. The entire company will also join ITV on the board of the newly established independent TV studio.
With plans for a TV show based on The Purge already in the offing – in addition to the Tom McCarthy helmed Secure and Hold: The Last Days of Roger Ailes original drama series to be developed simultaneously for Showtime – things are definitely looking up for the soon-to-be Blumhouse Television production company. Speaking to his own enthusiasm for the new studio deal, Jason Blum remarked:
“Over the past few years, we have been working to build Blumhouse Television into an independent studio so we can have the autonomy to work with the best storytellers and give them freedom to create the best dark genre programming. It is a dream that day is here. Julian [Bellamy] and his team at ITV are remarkable partners and we can’t wait to kick things off with The Purge and Secure and Hold. We are excited that with the launch of this new studio, we are expanding our partnership with NBCUniversal by growing The Purge franchise into a television series and are grateful for their incredible support of Blumhouse overall.”
Echoing Blum’s enthusiasm for the new partnership, ITV Managing Director, Julian Bellamy, offered his own reflection on the impending creative venture as follows:
“Jason [Blum] and his team have an unrivaled reputation in the suspense and thriller genres, delivering hit after hit at the US and international box office. They have very quickly established an enviable track record by applying these skills to television and we are delighted to come on board for the next stage of the company’s exciting development. This partnership is another step forward in ITV Studios building a global scripted business of scale.”
ITV is obviously happy to expand their reach into producing original scripted programs for television, and Blum and company are likewise thrilled to expand their reach from the big screen to the small screen. DeMonaco will continue working with Universal and Platinum Dunes in the production of The Purge TV show as he has thus far theatrically, and with any luck Blumhouse Television will live up to its founding promise of bringing dark genre programming to the masses.
