For quite a long time now there have been rumours about a new Judge Dredd movie, which were confirmed earlier this year with the news that 28 Days Later… scribe Alex Garland is on scripting duties, Pete Travis (Vantage Point) is directing and that filming will take place during the autumn in Johannesburg.
However so far there’s been no word on who might be taking on the role that Sylvester Stallone so memorably screwed up in the 1990s. Well, that’s changed as Bleeding Cool report that Karl Urban is set to be offered the lead in the movie. That doesn’t mean he’ll accept, of course, but it appears he’s the first choice, and to be honest, the Aussie actor would seem to fit well within the role (although it’ll be interesting to see if Dredd stays helmeted as in the comics, or unmasks in a more mainstream film friendly fashion).
Early script reviews from the likes of The Playlist have generally praised Garland’s take of the character, putting Dredd in the centre of a gritty, crime-riddled future, with loads of action. So hopefully when the film arrives in cinemas next year, we’ll be able to wipe all thoughts of the 1995 version from our minds.