Karl Urban has been confirmed for the leading role in Judge Dredd by producers Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of the new film. Urban had been rumoured for the role already, but in a Movie-Con Q&A this evening the pair confirmed that he has been cast for the film, shooting in South Africa soon.
“The main thing about Dredd is that it’s a fantastic comic that was completely messed up 20 years ago," said Macdonald. "Our idea is to make a very hard, R-rated, gritty, realistic movie of Dredd in Megacity, so we’ve got to get the tone right. He’s not going to take off his helmet. His bike is going to feel real. He’s going to hit people and it’s going to feel real."
"There’s been a change in comic-book movies; they were treated unseriously and now they’re treated seriously. We’ve cast a guy called Karl Urban to play Dredd. We’ll be shooting in Johannesburg, it’s being directed by Pete Travis, we’re shooting with the people who did District 9 – and if we get it right, Alex has a couple of ideas for other stories as well. It’s not based on any one comic, and John Wagner is involved in every decision."
Ladies and gentlemen who are Judge Dredd fans, that sound you hear is music in your ears. More from Movie-Con's panels this evening here, including news on 127 Hours and Never Let Me Go and the batshit insane looking A Town Called Panic, and check back over the weekend for more.