After years of fans campaigning for a sequel to 2012’sDredd, it looks like they will get a newJudge Dreddmovie, just not the one they expected. Created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, Judge Dredd first appeared in the British weekly anthology comic2000 AD. A cult sci-fi hero, the character has had two film adaptations. The first was Sylvester Stallone’s 1995 film, which disappointed fans and critics. 2012’sDredd, starring Karl Urban, earned positive critical reviews and, despite disappointing at the box office, gained a cult following.
Taika Waititiis set to direct a reboot ofJudge Dredd, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Waititi’s credits include the MCU’sThor: RagnarokandThor: Love and Thunder, as well as critically acclaimed comedies such asThe Hunt for the Wilderpeople,What We Do in the Shadows, andJojo Rabbit.The film script will be written by Drew Pearce, best known for writingThe Fall Guyand co-writingIron Man 3andMission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. The film is being shopped to various studios and is said to be closer to the original comics than the previous feature films.
‘Dredd’ Writer Recalls The Movie’s “Bloody Mess” of a Production
There’s a reason Alex Garland doesn’t want to make another ‘Dredd’ movie.
Waititi helming a newJudge Dreddreboot comes shortly after news broke that hislong-in-development remake ofAkirahad fallen through at Warner Bros. While rumors have circulated that Marvel Studios is consideringThor 5, Waititi is not expected to return, given the poor audience and critical reaction toThor: Love and Thunder. IfJudge Dreddis the next project on Waititi’s schedule, this will also further delay hisStar Warsfilm, which was first announced back in 2020. Lucasfilm does not seem to be in a rush for Waititi’s turn in a galaxy far, far away, as they currently haveThe Mandalorian & Groguset for release in 2026,Starfighterabout to begin filming, and a movie centered on the character of Rey in the works.
What Happened to ‘Judge Dredd: Mega-City One’?
Despite 2012’sDredddisappointing at the box office, the film’s cult status kept it in conversation for some type of continuation. Star Karl Urban, producer Adi Shankar, and writer Alex Garland (who reportedly served as the movie’s director for much of the reshoots) teased a follow-up for years, with hope coming in the form of aplanned television series titledJudge Dredd: Mega-City Onein 2017. Urban was in talks to reprise his role as Judge Dredd, but the television series was paused indefinitely in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While producer Jason Kingsley had teased that the television scripts were ready, the series has seemingly been canceled in favor of the reboot.
While Waititi, on the surface, seems like an odd pick for Judge Dredd, the director’s comedic and often absurd style might fit well with the original comics' dark, pointed satire about the judicial system. The original Judge Dredd stories were during Margaret Thatcher’s leadership of the Conservative Party in England, and the character hit the comic shelves two years before she became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Now Judge Dredd’s extreme measures of justice feel appropriate at a time of massive protest in the United States regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, calls to defund the police, and concerns about the Trump administration using inhumane measures to detain prisoners and controversial political pardons.It might not beDredd 2, but maybe the third time is the charm for Judge Dredd on the big screen.
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
Judge Dredd
