Though it got lots of praise from critics and fans alike, 2012's Dredd just didn't connect with audiences and only made $41.5 million at the box office. As a result, there hasn't been any news of a sequel, no matter how hard fans wish for it. Karl Urban, who played the titular character in the movie, has always said he'd be down to wear the helmet again, but he doesn't know if he'll ever get a chance to.
One of the most commonly proposed ways for Judge Dredd to return is through a series on Netflix, Hulu, or any of the other streaming services who are okay with lots of blood and violence. A 13 episode series would certainly help to fill the Dredd sized hole in our hearts. Comicbook.com recently caught up with Karl Urban and asked him if he would be interested in pursuing some kind of Dredd series. This was his answer:
Yeah, I've gone on record saying that I would. Absolutely. I mean, what's clear to me is that there is an audience demand to see more and if we can find a way to have a legitimate and worthy successor to Dredd. I'd love to be a part of it. You know, it would have to be something where we were focused on Dredd and coming to sort of understand the deeper inner workings of the character, otherwise there wouldn't be much point doing it because it's a huge challenge to play a character whose eyes you can't see. We'll see. I'm sure it will get made at some point. Whether it's with me or not, I don't know.
No confirmations have been made, but it's always nice to hear that Karl Urban wants to return to the character. He certainly makes a strong point in that a new series would have to explore Dredd's background and character a bit more. The movie was great, but we're going to need a little more meat if we want to stick around for 13 or so episodes. Plus, Urban had to convey Dredd's emotions mostly through frowns, and as an actor it's probably hard to convey emotion with only using your mouth (anyone who's played Batman can attest to that).
Karl Urban is also right when he says that another Judge Dredd will happen eventually. As sure as the sun rises, Hollywood will remake and reboot until everything has been done 10 times over. It may or may not be connected to the one that people like, but it'll happen eventually.
He may not be Judge Dredd anytime soon but you can next see Karl Urban as a different beloved character like Dr. Bones McCoy in Star Trek Beyond in theaters on July 22.
