Does Karl Urban’s Dredd 2 Still Have A Fighting Chance?

Is there a bigger tragedy in comic book movies than Dredd‘s box office performance in 2012? Featuring everything that Judge Dredd fans could imagine, its only crime was being released in the same year as Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. But doesn’t Karl Urban deserve a sequel and a chance in the role of Judge Dredd and redemption with Dredd 2? Viewers want more of the Judge, jury and executioner in multiple follow-up films.

Zero Audience Awareness

The failure of Dredd is something that everyone should be ashamed of. For years, fans demanded films that look and feel the same as the source material, fearing that comic book movies had been watered down for the general audience. When it eventually happened, and director and creator Pete Travis gave the fans what they wanted, the movie tanked at the box office.

Speaking to Den of Geek, The Lord of the Rings actor argued that the film itself wasn’t a failure, but the marketing was. “How does a movie with a 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes fail? Through zero audience awareness,” Karl Urban said. “Nobody knew the movie was being released. Dredd represents a failure in marketing, not filmmaking. Dredd sold 750,000 units, in North America, the first week it went on sale on DVD, which earned it a lot of money and the number one slot. Proof that the audience, once they became aware, wanted to see it.”

In fact, the home video sales and cult status left fans with the possibility that a Dredd sequel could always be possible in the future. As time passed, however, it became less and less likely that Dredd 2 would happen. There was a glimmer of hope when the Judge Dredd: Mega-City One TV series was announced in 2017. Then, the CEO of Rebellion, Jason Kingsley, confirmed that the show is written and ready to go and that he hopes Karl Urban returns as the law enforcer.

The Dredd TV Series

When asked about the possibility of playing Dredd again in a sequel or a TV series, Urban told Screen Geek: “Well, listen, it’s very, very early to get into any specifics on that, but I’ve gone on the record before saying that I would love to come back and be a part of that world and tell more Dredd stories.”

So, if both parties want it to happen, what’s the delay?

Easy. Karl Urban’s commitment to The Boys series as Billy Butcher. Make no mistake about it: the series is one of the hottest commodities on Amazon at the moment, and there’s no way it’ll want to lose Urban to a competing comic book show. As much as he might want to play Dredd again (in Dredd 2 or a TV series set in the world), does he have the time to commit to another TV show right now? More importantly, can he?

While Karl Urban as Dredd in a Mega-City One television series is better than not seeing him as the character ever again, Dredd 2 still makes more sense when you consider the other factors at play here. A film will give him a clear view of production, allowing him to plan his schedule accordingly. That way, he can be both Dredd and Butcher without any problems.

On the flip side, maybe Urban is able to negotiate his way onto the Mega-City One TV show after all. And if it proves to be a success that everyone thinks it will be, it might convince producers to give Judge Dredd another shot on the big screen. One thing’s for certain, though: everybody wants to see Urban return as the Judge. It simply needs to happen now — even if it isn’t in Dredd 2.

The Possibility Of A Dredd Sequel

In 2022, ComicBook Nation Podcast spoke with producer Adi Shankar (debuting his new superhero series Netflix’s Guardians of Justice) about the possibility of a Dredd sequel on the streaming network. While the producer was quick to point out that he does not own the rights to any of the characters and doesn’t have the final say on the movies, he was open to the idea. “Yeah. The answer is: absolutely,” he answered when pressed for an answer on whether or not the new streaming paradigm could help resurrect Dredd 2.

To this day, Karl Urban maintains his position that Dredd was a failure due to marketing. “Alex Garland has gone on record to say that Dredd was a failure. I disagree. The movie itself was not a failure. In fact, it was a critical success. It just failed to perform at the box office,” Urban explained to DoG.

Everything We Want To See In A Dredd Sequel

Karl Urban breathed new life into Judge Dredd’s character during his time in the titular role, and fans still demand a proper sequel to Dredd‘s awesomeness. As we know, sequels are a tricky business, so we’ve compiled this list of things we’d love to see in a potential Dredd movie sequel or TV show.

1. More Slo-Mo

One of the best parts of Dredd was its trippy slow-motion action sequences, fueled by a drug called “slo-mo.” Every slo-mo shootout in the film was a veritable work of art, allowing the movie’s otherwise standard action setting to shine even brighter.

Granted, having slo-mo as the sole focus of a sequel would be a tad repetitive, but that doesn’t mean that the concept of slo-mo should be entirely absent from a potential Dredd 2. As a stylistic choice, slo-mo has become more or less part of the visual identity of this new version of Judge Dredd – having the drug making a quick return in the sequel would help establish this as the same, shared franchise, even more than Karl Urban’s iconic scowl.

In retrospect, much of the reason why some of the 3D effects of Dredd were so effective had to do with the slo-mo sequences. In a non-3D sequel, these segments could be introduced much more naturally into the film’s visual direction, imparting a renewed look to the Dredd universe.

2. A Bigger World

There’s a certain feeling of claustrophobia in Dredd that works wonders for the film. We’ve seen this technique used before in other legendary action flicks like The Raid: Redemption. However, the world of Judge Dredd spans beyond the confines of Mega-City One’s dreadfully polluted air.

Dredd takes place almost entirely within a massive slum tower known as Peach Trees. What little else we see of Mega-City One was filmed around Cape Town and Johannesburg – which might explain why the film has that distinctive Neil Blomkamp feel.

It would be great to see more of Mega-City One in Dredd 2 – something that would make the film’s setting feel more genuine. Peach Trees had this authentic “lived-in” feeling to it, which is something that the filmmakers could use in some other Mega-City One landmarks in the sequel.

Besides the Mega-Cities, there’s also the Cursed Earth: an irradiated wasteland that encompasses most of the midwestern United States. These badlands have been the stage for many of Judge Dredd’s classic storylines, and if they explored it in a sequel, it could turn Dredd 2 into a proper Mad Max spiritual successor.

3. Judge Anderson

Let’s face it: as cool as Dredd is, his character is pretty much a stoic badass who never undergoes any sort of significant change throughout the film. That part goes to Cassandra Anderson, a Judge-in-training who, in the comics, becomes one of Dredd’s most loyal allies.

Her introduction in the 2012 film was something that fans of the Dredd comic book no doubt appreciated: it showed, beyond any doubt, that the people involved in the making of the movie were die-hard Judge Dredd fans.

Now, it’s clear that Anderson (played by Olivia Thirlby) would have to come back for a Dredd sequel. With Dredd himself vouching for her with the higher-ups at the end of the first film, Anderson would likely be a proper Judge during the events of a Dredd sequel.

4. Good Ol’ Judge Dredd

Fans of the Judge Dredd comics know how much of a dumpster fire the 1995 Judge Dredd film (starring Sylvester Stallone) was. One of the many reasons why the franchise’s first live-action adaptation failed to live up to fans’ expectations has to do with the titular Judge himself. He might be a one-dimensional character, but it takes some finesse to properly portray Judge Dredd in live-action – to capture the sheer badassery of the man whose face rarely appears without its iconic Judge helmet.

In contrast with the doomed RoboCop reboot, Dredd kept Karl Urban’s face covered for the entirety of the film. In the event of a sequel, fans would no doubt prefer this approach rather than having Dredd remove his helmet every time he’s about to give a dramatic speech. Dredd nailed the way a realistic Judge Dredd would behave, and any sequel would do well in keeping his portrayal intact.

5. Dredd vs. Corruption

While Judge Dredd has always been an overt criticism of fascism and overbearing authoritarianism, there have been some storylines where even Dredd has had to draw a line between what’s morally correct for a peacekeeper like him.

To reiterate the point about seeing more of the world outside of Peach Trees, a sequel could introduce a Dredd who’s probably increasingly discontent with some of the actions of the more corrupt Judges of Mega-City One. He might not be an overt loose cannon, but still, Dredd would definitely find himself in situations that would require him to make difficult decisions and ultimately stand firm against corruption.

6. Even More Cyberpunk Influences

Dredd is a film that looks gritty, grimy, and dirty… it’s the perfect live-action adaptation of what a live-action adaptation of Mega-City One should look like. The oppressive atmosphere of Peach Trees and the dilapidated streets surrounding it give the impression that Dredd lives in a world without law – one where cyberpunk reigns supreme.

Even though the stylistic choices made in the first Dredd were on point, we’d love to see even more cyberpunk designs in Dredd 2. As we mentioned earlier, some of those Neil Blomkamp-like designs, like the ones we’ve seen in Elysium and Chappie, would be the perfect fit for a Dredd sequel.

Besides, there’s still so much more left to see in the complex world of Mega-City One. Now that games like Cyberpunk 2077 have emerged, we’ve been given a taste of what a modern cyberpunk dystopia would look like once all the neon lights and fancy gadgets turn off. That’s precisely the kind of ruthless town that a man like Dredd would find himself in.

7. Exploring the Cursed Earth Storyline

Judge Dredd has been around in the world of comic books since 1977. In all that time, however, the Judge has seen only two live-action adaptations – which means that we have over forty years worth of Judge Dredd stories that have never received any form of adaptation outside of the comics.

One of the earlier ones – and, according to fans, among the better ones – is the Cursed Earth storyline. The plot introduces not just the aforementioned Cursed Earth territory but also Mega-City Two and the fate of the American West Coast. The story has it all: vampires, robots, aliens, dinosaurs… of course, considering how relatively realistic the first Dredd film was, this version of Cursed Earth would have to be a little less farfetched.

Still, any Dredd fan would be excited to see the street judge traversing the nuclear wastes in a desperate struggle for an elusive vaccine. Add Anderson and tons of bullets to the mix, and you have the Judge Dredd film everyone has been waiting for since 1977.

8. More Dark Judges

It would be amazing to see another potential villain like Judge Death in a sequel. Although their presence might mean the annihilation of humanity, surely Joseph Dredd will be able to avert the disaster.

Tell us, do you want to see Dredd 2 starring Karl Urban?