2012’s post-apocalyptic re-imagining of the cult classic Judge Dredd, the Karl Urban-starring Dredd, didn’t exactly light up the box office. Thankfully, for its legions of fans, the flick was gifted a second life on the home video market, reportedly selling nearly 800,000 copies in the first week of its US release.
In spite of this, a sequel didn’t seem like the most viable concept, particularly given Hollywood’s reluctance to bankroll anything without a proven track record in theatres.
However, in a recent interview with Den Of Geek, Urban hinted that Dredd 2 may be a possibility after all, noting that the movie “represents a failure in marketing, not film-making”.
As Urban sees it, the problem with Dredd was simply that people didn’t know it even existed until it was too late. But, once it got a home release, the positive reaction was “proof that the audience, once they became aware, wanted to see it”.
Naturally, Dredd 2 would’ve been more feasible had the theatrical release of its predecessor gone a bit smoother:
The unfortunate theatrical release of Dredd and the manner in which it was mishandled made it problematic for Dredd 2 to be immediately funded and produced in the same fashion
However, Urban remains optimistic that its home release has “definitely strengthened the argument in favour of a sequel”.
He even compared it to the sci-fi classic Blade Runner, and recent, R-rated super-hit Deadpool:
Dredd has definitely achieved a cult like status, I believe, like Blade Runner. It was ahead of its time, but not by much. The recent success of Deadpool has demonstrated a strong audience demand for R-rated graphic novel films.
When pressed on whether Dredd 2 might find a better home on a streaming service, and whether he’d be willing to star in same, Urban was, again, highly optimistic:
I’m amenable to being involved in any legitimate and worthy follow up to Dredd, whether it be another theatrical release or a Netflix/Amazon targeted production… I would be blessed and it would be a privilege to make another Dredd. I feel so incredibly grateful to the fans of this movie.
You can check out the full interview with Urban here.
We’ll keep you updated on the possibility of a Dredd 2 as the story develops.
