Confirmed: There’s A New ‘Judge Dredd’ Movie Coming With Taika Waititi At The Helm
by Richard Bruton
Well, this appeared on everyone’s feeds over the weekend – there’s news of a new Judge Dredd movie in the works helmed by Taika Waititi…
The Hollywood Reporter first announced the news. But even then, it seemed like one of those things where maybe it’s just a little reaching, especially for comics fans well used to plenty of disappointment. After all, Dredd hasn’t exactly done mega-numbers, although both the 1995 Stallone Judge Dredd and the 2012 Dredd movies did well, and particularly Dredd is much loved by Dredd fans for doing things right with the character and the world.
So, when the first rumours of Taika Waititi being attached to a new Dredd movie started circulating, we weren’t exactly convinced. So, people started asking Jason Kingsley OBE about it. Jason being the co-founder and CEO of Rebellion, one of Europe’s largest and biggest computer game developers. He’s also the man who, in buying 2000 AD in 2000, kept the comic going when there was a real risk it would fail. So, without Rebellion and Kingsley, no 2000 AD, no Dredd movie, and no Treasury of British Comics archive dedicated to preserving and keeping alive the rich history of so much of British comics.
And here’s what he had to say…
And there you have it – “Yes, it’s very early but true.” Can’t get more unequivocal than that.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Waititi will be the one in charge of bringing Dredd back to the screen, with Drew Pearce set to take on the script, whose previous credits include Iron Man 3, Hobbs & Shaw and The Fall Guy, plus the second forthcoming remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, led by Michael B Jordan. [Which, as an aside, has a real job ahead of it beating either the original or the Pierce Brosnan starring remake in terms of sheer style and enjoyment.]
There’s plenty out there that has Waititi in particular as a fan of the character, namechecking Dredd as an influence on his Marvel fare. Pearce is meant to be a similarly enamoured fan. The gossip is that this new treatment might be looking to be more faithful to the original source and lean into the plentiful dark comedy that comes with all things Dredd and Mega-City One. We shall wait and see. It’s going to be a few years before anything comes of it no doubt. But we can always hope to finally get a massive Dredd movie.
