The iconic British comic book character Judge Dredd looks set for a return to the big screen, although perhaps not quite in the guise that many fans of 2000 AD lawman – and particularly 2012’s Karl Urban-led Dredd film – may have been hoping for.
As revealed by THR this week, Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit helmer Taika Waititi is attached to direct a new take on Dredd, which has been scripted by British writer Drew Pearce (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, The Fall Guy).
It’s said that the new project is inspired by the original comic book source material as opposed to the previous adaptations (prior to 2012’s Dredd, Sylvester Stallone had portrayed the character in 1995’s big-budget flop Judge Dredd), leaning into the strip’s dark humour and world-building. However, it’s also being described as “a fun sci-fi blockbuster” with the potential to launch a shared Judge Dredd universe that could be explored through further movies and TV shows.
The news puts an end to the long-running fan campaign to see Karl Urban reprise his role for Dredd 2 or the long-gestating Judge Dredd: Mega-City One TV series, which 2000 AD owners Rebellion began developing back in 2017. There’s not been any kind of official update on that project for several years now, and with Rebellion also attached to produce this new movie, Mega-City One has presumably fallen by the wayside.
It’s also unclear how the Judge Dredd movie might impact Taika Waititi’s other projects, including his own long-planned Star Wars movie, which doesn’t seem to have made any progress at all since its announcement in 2020. His next feature, Klara and the Sun starring Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams, is currently in post-production, while he’s also recently been announced as directing the pilot for a Very Young Frankenstein TV series.
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