But the African-American filmmaker had another objective too.
The filmmakers prequel concerns the initial, experimental version of the Purge, which takes place on Staten Island.
So mostly poor people stay, and rich people leave, and the government has its own agenda.
Credit: Annette Brown/Universal
He was definitely an inspiration, McMurray says with a laugh.
Im not afraid to deal with race and race issues, McMurray says.
Each one, we were pushing the envelope a little more.
Annette Brown/Universal
By [The First Purge] we thought, Lets go all-in here.
That decision was reinforced by the hiring of McMurray.
We met the first day of film school, says McMurray.
I was producing a lot of his shorts, he was shooting a lot of my shorts.
WhenFruitvalecame about he said, G, come and help me make my movie, and I was down.
Im an Italian kid from Brooklyn and Staten Island.
I cant speak to [that].
The neighborhood was Puerto Rican, it was black.
I was there, he says.
My whole family was there.
My nieces and nephews.
That was an inspiration [forThe First Purge].
Theres a line in the film which is, No ones coming to save us.
Im not a government-basher, but thats one of the things that happened.
I said, I have to really put this in the film, he recalls.
Because for me, any key in of horror is like real-life stuff.
Not ghosts, not supernatural stuff.
Thats horror for me Charlottesville people.
I wanted to use that.
I used it as a shot of inspiration, just like the Sean Spicer thing.
People really were into it, he says.
McMurray doesnt know if he will return to make a fifthPurgemovie, should there be one.
Thats not my call, he says.
Im just happy making this movie.
he says with a laugh.
