Despite not being a financial success, Dredd received a positive reception, and Karl Urban’s interpretation deserves a sequel. In the year 2080, Dredd follows a powerful law enforcement officer who can serve as judge, jury, and executioner in a post-apocalyptic city. The film is based on the British comic book series Judge Dredd, which was previously adapted into a 1995 movie.
The original Judge Dredd movie starring Sylvester Stallone was universally panned, but a 2012 reboot starring Karl Urban was overwhelmingly praised as being superior in almost every aspect. The series originally planned for follow-ups over a decade ago, but none have materialized. No matter how long has passed since the first film, Dredd still deserves a sequel.
The possibility of a second Dredd exists despite over a decade having passed since the first Dredd. On a budget of $30-45 million, Dredd made $41 million at the box office when it was released. Since then, Dredd has gained a serious cult following, becoming increasingly popular over time. It is likely that Dredd 2 starring Karl Urban will still happen since he still has plenty of stories to tell. As TRON: Legacy did almost 30 years after the original TRON, developing a sequel to a box office failure is not unheard of.
Dredd 2 is also plausible because everyone involved with the film has grown immensely in popularity after its release. Urban’s profile has increased considerably since 2012, as he appeared in Thor: Ragnarok and starred in The Boys, while producer and disputed director Alex Garland made acclaimed films like Ex Machina and Annihilation. Due to the success of the Judge Dredd: Superfiend animated series and the comic book continuing the story of the movie, Karl Urban and Alex Garland could finally get Dredd 2 made.
Dredd was a great film on its own, but it set up an even better story for Dredd 2. Karl Urban’s Dredd reboot in 2012 was supposed to kick off a Judge Dredd trilogy, but these plans didn’t come to fruition. Several future Dredd storylines have been teased by Alex Garland (via Digital Spy). The original plan for Dredd 2 was to focus on the origins of Judge Dredd and Mega-City One. Judge Death and the Dark Judges would have been introduced in Dredd 3 – an exciting prospect for anyone familiar with the Judge Dredd comics.
According to Garland, he also played with Dredd 3’s “Democracy” storyline. Dredd’s morality is emphasized in this story, as well as his authoritarian role in society. Dredd 2 and 3 would have also introduced the villainous Chief Judge Cal and the anti-fascist graffiti artist Chopper. Dredd’s trilogy could have explored so many exciting storylines, but none have been explored. Future possibilities still exist.
Some of the comments made by Karl Urban and others regarding Dredd 2 raise hopes for a sequel. In August 2022, Karl Urban reestablished his interest in a Judge Dredd sequel if given the chance. Despite rumors of other types of continuation, Alex Garland has said that a direct sequel to Dredd is unlikely.
Following up on Urban’s comments about continuing Dredd with a streaming series, a TV series titled Judge Dredd: Mega-City One was announced in May 2017. The show hasn’t been discussed since Karl Urban announced that he was in talks to star. Judge Dredd: Mega-City One, however, was never officially canceled, as an entire studio was set up to produce it. If Dredd 2 never happens, a TV series could continue the story of 2012’s Dredd.
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