Dredd 2 has become one of those unicorn projects that fans love to bring up, only to have their hopes dashed by a grim dose of reality. Well folks, it looks like reality got tired of making you upset, as Karl Urban himself has announced that the sequel to the severely underrated Dredd is indeed in the offing. In fact, movement has already begun, if his word is to be believed.
ScienceFiction.com was in attendance at the recent Denver Comic Con, and more importantly they were at a panel that included Urban's presence. So after a fan asked the magic question of whether Karl Urban would be so desperate to make Dredd 2 that he'd do so without a good script, he joked around and then dropped some knowledge. Development has begun on a return to Mega City One, with the judge in play once more.
Now while this is exciting news, there are some caveats that we need to keep in mind. Mostly the fact that the development phase is not a sure-fire bullet train to production. In fact, there's still a chance that whatever suitor Dredd 2 has found to keep its wheels up may decide that the potential costs of production isn't worth it. Though it would help to know what platform is in play, and what format the sequel will be taking, as the stakes would be lower with an Amazon / Netflix original series, rather than another film through Lionsgate or any other studio that may have purchased the rights.
Obviously, Dredd 2 is in early days of any potential lifecycle is would take, so there's a possibility that the behind the scenes talent, which would presumably still include rock star producer Adi Shenkar, as well as Karl Urban, are developing the project before shopping it to potential homes. If this is the case, then now's the time for the fans to choose a side and start to make noise in its support. In our personal opinion, a Netflix limited series would probably be the best way to go, and for rather obvious reasons.
First, not only would we get more Judge Dredd action out of Dredd 2 taking the series route, we'd also be getting a bigger story that can get as weird and gory as it wants. Which means goodbye studio focus groups, hello mutants, biting societal satire, and maybe even Judge Death. Secondly, and more importantly, the stakes aren't as high when it comes to return of investment when it comes to a Netflix project. So if Adam Sandler can get signed to a four picture deal, then there's a good chance that Dredd 2 can drop the numeral and invite several more installments into the fray.
The future's looking bright for Dredd 2, but it's important to keep a level head and still fight the good fight, dear fans. Keep making noise, keep letting the world know you want to make this happen, and if anything further develops we'll proudly report it back to your eager eyes.
