By james art Although critics missed the boat, giving the film mixed reviews and its complete failure at the box office, “Dredd” (Alex Garland) became a cult classic over time with a loyal fanbase thanks to home video, VOD and streaming.
Dredd was written by Alex Garland, a screenwriter who burst onto the scene writing Danny Boyle movies early on. I can’t forget to mention Karl Urban (“Star Trek Beyond”), who played the titular character.
Over the years, there have been numerous fan petitions calling for a sequel, most notably Bring Back Dredd, which has garnered more than 300,000 signatures. A few years ago, rumours indicated that the sequel is back in development. Last we heard, a series called “Judge Dredd: Mega-City One” was announced to be in development by IM Global Television and Rebellion — Urban is reportedly attached.
This week I tried to inquire about the status of the sequel, whether it will be a movie or a TV series, and reached out to various contacts. From what I’ve gathered, backed up by multiple sources, the idea of any sort of Dredd sequel has “virtually evaporated.” I’m even told that in 2022 the producers reached out to Netflix to see if they would be willing to back the project and the streamer declined.
It doesn’t help that even though he was originally set for the sequel, Urban has now found success starring in Amazon’s “The Boys,” complicating things for the “Dredd” producers. There were also attempts to get Alex Garland involved in the sequel, but the interest was not reciprocated and he quickly turned down the offer.
A few years ago, Urban confirmed (via JoBlo)that director Peter Travis didn’t actually direct Dredd, but rather Garland himself, who took over during the troubled production — one of Hollywood’s most famous cases of ghost directing.
“Dredd” was a reboot of “Judge Dredd”, a 1990s action film starring Sylvester Stallone. It was an unequivocal improvement on the original. “Dredd” was a visionary film, enhanced by Paul Leonard’s delightful techno soundtrack, which gave the film an avant-garde edginess that perfectly matched the dark, glittering atmosphere. It was a film that seemed incredibly unique in its vision. Sometimes it’s better not to have a sequel and just let the original stand alone.