James DeMonaco
- Film director
- screenwriter
- producer
James DeMonaco (born October 12, 1969) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for creating the Purge franchise, writing all five films in the series and directing the first three, The Purge (2013),[1] Anarchy (2014), and Election Year (2016).[2]
DeMonaco's first produced screenplay was the Robin Williams comedy Jack (1996), directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Personal life
DeMonaco grew up in Staten Island, New York. He spent eight years in Paris, France, that led him to "put a microscope" on his life after seeing the difference in the relationship toward guns and violence in Paris compared to New York. DeMonaco is of Italian descent.[3][4]
He and his wife, a doctor, were almost killed by a drunk driver in Brooklyn. In anger, his wife said "I wish we could all have one free one [a murder] a year", something which helped inspire the Purge series.[5][6]
Filmography
Film
Year | Film | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | Jack | No | Yes | No | Co-written with Gary Nadeau |
1998 | The Negotiator | No | Yes | No | Co-written with Kevin Fox |
2005 | Assault on Precinct 13 | No | Yes | No | |
2006 | Skinwalkers | No | Yes | No | Co-written with Todd Harthan and James Roday |
2009 | Staten Island | Yes | Yes | No | Directorial debut |
2013 | The Purge | Yes | Yes | No | |
2014 | The Purge: Anarchy | Yes | Yes | No | |
2016 | The Purge: Election Year | Yes | Yes | No | |
2018 | The First Purge | No | Yes | Executive | |
2021 | The Forever Purge | No | Yes | Yes | |
This Is the Night | Yes | Yes | No | ||
2024 | The Home[7] | Yes | Yes | No |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Credit(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | Ryan Caulfield: Year One | Creator, executive producer | |
2005 | HBO First Look | Himself | |
2007 | The Kill Point | Producer, writer |
|
2009 | Crash | Writer, producer |
|
2018-19 | The Purge | Creator, writer, producer |
|
References
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (June 6, 2013). "'The Purge,' Starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey". The New York Times.
- ^ "Why The Purge 3 Doesn't Need Frank Grillo - Even Though He's Really, Really Awesome - Dread Central". www.dreadcentral.com. January 17, 2015.
- ^ "Exclusive Interview: 'The Purge' Trilogy Director James DeMonaco Talks About the Movies' Shocking Origin".
- ^ "'The Purge' creator has idea for another movie which will turn franchise 'upside down'". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ DeSalvo, Robert B. (October 3, 2016). "Exclusive Interview: 'The Purge' Trilogy Director James DeMonaco Talks About the Movies' Shocking Origin". Fandango. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ "James DeMonaco interview: The Purge: Anarchy, genre filmmaking and more". Den of Geek. July 15, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ "Pete Davidson To Star In James DeMonaco's Horror Thriller 'The Home' For Miramax". Deadline Hollywood. January 12, 2022. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
External links
- James DeMonaco at IMDb
- James DeMonaco at AllMovie
- v
- t
- e
and directed
- Staten Island (2009)
- The Purge (2013)
- The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
- The Purge: Election Year (2016)
- This Is the Night (2021)
- The Home (2024)
- Jack (1996)
- The Negotiator (1998)
- Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
- Skinwalkers (2006)
- The First Purge (2018)
- The Forever Purge (2021)
- Ryan Caulfield: Year One (1999)
- The Kill Point (2007)
- The Purge (2018–19)
- The Purge (franchise)
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