2012’s “Dredd 3D” personified the idea of a cult classic. The film was a disappointment at the box office, grossing just $35 million worldwide on a $50 million budget. Those kinds of numbers are enough for any studio to do away with the idea of a sequel or franchise. And yet “Dredd 3D” garnered some decent critical reception and many of the fans who saw it became passionate about it.
Adapted from the “Judge Dredd” comics from 2000 AD, the film told the story of a hero built to police a dystopian, drug-riddled “Mega City.” Dredd (played by Karl Urban) acts as judge, jury, and executioner in hunting down criminals, and winds up going toe-to-toe with a dangerous drug lord who has built a fortress for herself in a high-rise. The film was dark, violent, and atmospherically memorable while Urban’s tight-lipped, no-nonsense approach was the perfect take on the character. It’s no wonder the movie wound up achieving the status it did. As a comic book movie with nothing to do with Marvel or DC, it was never going to get the publicity of its competition, but as an interesting and unique project it was bound to make fans of those who did see it.
It’s now been about five years since the release, and as much as some of those fans have begged for a sequel of some kind there has been little news on that front. The closest thing to a sustained impact from “Dredd 3D” is an online slot reel based on the character that boasts a bold and brooding style as the setting of Mega City One comes to life in the background of the game. The only thing is, it’s based more on the mid-‘90s film featuring Sylvester Stallone than on the recent remake and no such game based on “Dredd 3D” has emerged, despite the enormous potential.
Meanwhile, the sequel talk was briefly interesting before seemingly sputtering out last summer. What gave it legs was the fact that Urban himself was deeply interested in taking on the character again. The actor was openly campaigning for a studio, and helped to spread the idea that even a Netflix or Amazon series could be a suitable way to continue the story of Judge Dredd. Back in June, Urban tweeted to his fans that there was no sequel in development and that the project was no closer to happening, making the entire idea seem dead in the water.
We may never see a sequel to “Dredd 3D,” and Urban’s time with the role may be at an end. However, fans of the comics and of the 2012 film might take heart in a brand new, completely unexpected rumor that Judge Dredd might be coming back in an animated project. Producer Adi Shankar said as much, adding that he was going to make a sequel happen at some point. He just specified that it “might not be live-action.”
That’s not necessarily the news fans have been waiting to hear, but it’s nothing if not intriguing. Hopefully there will be clearer news on this front in the near future and Dredd devotees will finally find the sequel they've been longing for.