Arriving in theaters this weekend is The Purge: Anarchy, James DeMonaco's ambitious follow up to last summer's surprise hit The Purge. For the sequel DeMonaco takes to the streets with more action, a bigger cast of characters, and a deeper exploration of the world established in the first film. In the film Zach Gilford stars as Shane, a middle class everyman stranded outside on Purge night with his wife (played by Gildford's real-life bride Kiele Sanchez). Their odds of surviving until morning look pretty grim until the couple joins forces with a mysterious, well-armed man (Frank Grillo) and a mother/daughter pair intent on survival (Carmen Ejogo and Zoe Soul). Together, the team struggles to evade the deadly forces all around them and find a place of sanctuary.

I recently sat down for an exclusive video interview with Gilford. He talked about what attracted him to the world of The Purge, why he thinks the idea resonates with audiences, the joy of working on a film with his wife, how they ended up in the film together by pure luck, and more. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Zach Gilford:

• Why was he attracted to working on The Purge and why does he think the idea resonates with audiences?
• What it was like working with his real-life wife Kiele Sanchez.
• How they both randomly ended up cast in the film.
• Shooting the film in Downtown LA.
• Between The Purge and Devil's Due - Does he like the genre or does the genre like him?
• How The Purge: Anarchy isn't a straight horror film.