Ethan Hawke returns to The Purge franchise in season finale of the TV series

In just six years, James DeMonaco's THE PURGE franchise has grown to include four films (with a fifth on the way), as well as a TV series on USA Network which is just about to wrap up its second season, but it all began with a simple tale of home invasion. In the original 2013 movie, Ethan Hawke starred as James Sandin, a salesman for a security company which outfitted the homes of their wealthy clients to keep them safe during the annual Purge, you know, those 12 hours each year where all crime, including murder, is legal. Naturally, things don't go exactly as planned and James tries to protect his family from home invaders during a purge night gone wrong.

USA Network announced today that Ethan Hawke will be reprising his role of James Sandin in the second season finale of The Purge TV series. The character will be featured in the cold open of the finale, which will flash back to "one week before the first national purge and the first time his high-tech security system is tested." Titled "7:01 AM," the second season finale will pick up as purge night rages on and Esme, Ryan, Marcus and Ben fight for their lives and their loved ones. It will air Tuesday, December 17th at 9/8C on USA Network.

As far as the fifth installment of big-screen side of THE PURGE franchise, the latest sequel will be directed by Everardo Gout and written by series creator James DeMonaco. Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico) and Ana de la Reguera (ARMY OF THE DEAD) will star and it's been said that this sequel will take the franchise out of its usual metropolitan setting while still dealing with the same class and race issues the series has always tackled. James DeMonaco has previously teased that this fifth film could be the end of the series. "I have it in my head. I think I’m going to write it. I think it’s a great way to end it all," DeMonaco said. "We want to end it all, I think, in this one, and I’m very excited. When I came up with the idea and pitched it to everybody, they seemed psyched, and I think it will be a really cool ending, how we take this one home."

The fifth installment of THE PURGE franchise is already slated for a July 10, 2020 release.