JUDGE DREDD Readying For Comeback

Judge Dredd is getting ready to roam the streets of Mega City One again.

A new financing deal signed just in time to be announced at Cannes will see DNA Films financing India-based Reliance Big Entertainment and IM Global’s planned new version of the British comic book character created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra to the tune of $50 million dollars. Vantage Point helmer Pete Travis is set to direct from a script by Sunshine and 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland.  And it will be in 3D.

Let’s face it, the original Judge Dredd was a disappointment. The 1995 action film starring Sylvester Stallone wasn’t a great film on its own and fans of the comic book series it was based on were dismayed at how far it strayed from the source material. Reportedly, this new version will stick much closer to the original strip, which has been a steady feature of the anthology series 2000 AD since 1977, but I have to question that. The character rose to popularity in the 80s based on it’s satirical critique of England under Prime Minister Margret Thatcher. Obviously, that won’t really work some two decades later and today’s political and social climate is far different. It should be interesting to see what emerges this time. It couldn’t be any worse, could it?

Via Deadline.