Earlier this we reported on rumours that the long mooted Judge Dredd movie was on track, and Pete Travis (Vantage Point) had been hired to direct. Well, that’s now been confirmed, with Reliance Big Entertainment, the company financing the film, putting out a press release officially announcing the film and saying that ‘Filming will take place over the fourth quarter of 2010 in Johannesburg.’
The movie is budgeted at $45 million, so they’re going to have to watch their pennies if they want to make it action-packed.
Judge Dredd comic co-creator, John Wagner, commented, ‘Alex Garland’s script is faithful to the original concept that made Judge Dredd a favourite bad-ass hero. It’s a high-octane slay ride through the dark underbelly of the vast future city. A fan pleaser. With their track record, I have every faith in Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich.’
Said Alex Garland: ‘I grew up reading Judge Dredd. The incredible writers and artists of 2000 AD were formative influences on me. Andrew, Allon and I have developed this adaptation of Judge Dredd with an emphasis on adrenaline and realism, but with all the scale and spectacle of Mega-City One. We think Pete’s propulsive, edgy style is a perfect match for the project.’
So there you have it. After the disappointment of the Stallone film, we’re really getting another go-around, and they’re promising it’ll be closer to the comics, and that can only be a good thing.