LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Universal Pictures released a trailer for upcoming film The Purge: Election Day that will explore the political relevance of "Purge Night."
The 2 1/2-minute trailer follows Frank Grillo reprising his role as Sgt. Leo Barnes from 2014's {i:The Purge: Anarchy } as he attempts to defend a U.S. senator, played by Elizabeth Mitchell, who is running for president and seeks to outlaw the Purge.
Her attempt to cancel the annual tradition enrages citizens, who use the subsequent Purge as an opportunity to capture the senator and foil her presidential campaign.
"It's been two years since Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) stopped himself from a regrettable act of revenge on Purge Night. Now serving as head of security for Sen. Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), his mission is to protect her in a run for president and survive the annual ritual that targets the poor and innocent," the official plot synopsis states. "But when a betrayal forces them onto the streets of D.C. on the one night when no help is available, they must stay alive until dawn ... or both be sacrificed for their sins against the state."
Purge films have been released almost annually since the original film debuted in 2013 and earned $36 million in its first weekend on a $3 million budget. Soon after, development began on a sequel, The Purge: Anarchy, which was released in July 2015 to similar success.
The two films grossed $200 million collectively worldwide with a collective budget of $12 million.
The Purge: Election Day, directed by James DeMonaco, will be released July 1.
