IM Global has released a sparse synopsis for the upcoming Judge Dredd film, newly re-titled, “Dredd.”
DREDD takes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot – if necessary. The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and the frenetic vision of director Peter Travis bring DREDD to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film that returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s revered comic strip.
The Playlist says the script is “dark and gritty with comparisons being drawn to Die Hard and Blade Runner,” adding that the producers are shooting for an R rating, and hope to go into production in South Africa later this year with a projected budget of $45 million.
Ultimately, you have Karl Urban (Bones from 2009’s Star Trek) and Olivia Thirlby (The Wackness) starring in a re-launch of the Judge Dredd comic penned by Alex Garland (28 Days Later), and directed by John Wagner (Vantage Point), all done with a budget that’s pretty small for an action film. However, Kick-Ass has a budget of $30 million, and it didn’t hurt the effects.
All in all, the early buzz seems to be cautious excitement for this new take on the Judge.
What’s your verdict on Dredd?