James DeMonaco
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), Anarchy (2014), and Election Year (2016). DeMonaco's first produced screenplay was the Robin Williams comedy Jack (1996), directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
James DeMonaco
- Name
- James DeMonaco
- Born
- 12 October 1969
- Birthplace
- New York City, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Film director
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- New York University
- Languages
- English
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wikidata · Q3161013 · wikipedia · James DeMonaco
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — James DeMonaco • Born — 12 October 1969 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Occupation — * Film director • screenwriter • producer • Years Active — 1996–present
Personal life
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. 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.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Writer — Creator — Producer — Notes • 1999 — Ryan Caulfield: Year One — Executive • 2005 — HBO First Look — Himself • 2007 — The Kill Point — Wrote 2 episodes • 2009 — Crash — Wrote 3 episodes • 2018-19 — The Purge — Wrote 3 episodes
Career and activity
Career and activity
He belonged to Writers Guild of America, East.
Film
• Year — Title — Director — Writer — Producer • 1996 — Jack • 1998 — The Negotiator • 2005 — Assault on Precinct 13 • 2006 — Skinwalkers • 2009 — Staten Island • 2013 — The Purge • 2014 — The Purge: Anarchy • 2016 — The Purge: Election Year • 2018 — The First Purge — Executive • 2021 — The Forever Purge • This Is the Night • 2025 — The Home • 2026 — The Last Kiss
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Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article James DeMonaco, revision 1374314679 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Dargis, Manohla. 'The Purge,' Starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. The New York Times. June 6, 2013.
- 2.Why The Purge 3 Doesn't Need Frank Grillo - Even Though He's Really, Really Awesome - Dread Central. www.dreadcentral.com. January 17, 2015.
- 3.Exclusive Interview: 'The Purge' Trilogy Director James DeMonaco Talks About the Movies' Shocking Origin. October 3, 2016.
- 4.'The Purge' creator has idea for another movie which will turn franchise 'upside down'. Entertainment Weekly.
- 5.DeSalvo, Robert B. Exclusive Interview: 'The Purge' Trilogy Director James DeMonaco Talks About the Movies' Shocking Origin. Fandango. October 3, 2016.
- 6.James DeMonaco interview: The Purge: Anarchy, genre filmmaking and more. Den of Geek. July 15, 2014.
- 7.Pete Davidson To Star In James DeMonaco's Horror Thriller 'The Home' For Miramax. Deadline Hollywood. January 12, 2022.
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James DeMonaco studied at New York University.
The recorded source classes are reference work. Every statement above restates one of those records; where they are silent, this article is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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