Alex Garland, writer and producer of 2012's cult movie Dredd was present at the SXSW promoting Ex Machinima, his directorial debut. Collider caught up with him and asked the writer, producer and director about Dredd and the possibility of a sequel.
“The Dredd thing is a surprise. It’s a really complicated set of emotions. I have a lot of regret about how things worked out with Dredd, but it’s very gratifying. The regret it—you do a kind of transaction, particularly with the creators of it, which is that we want to do this thing and honor what you did, and try to do it properly, and then the film will reward that trust. That act of faith and trust and decency. And I think that the film rewarded them in one sense, but no in another. I do believe it rewarded them creatively, unless they’re lying to me about that. But I think it has created this thing of this movie that fails. The story of Dredd is that of a failed movie. Both times, for f**k’s sake. And to be party to that, when that was exactly the intention—to not do that—is kind of difficult."
“and I also feel a sense of responsibility because I know there are these people who do this stuff like they’ve got money and they spend money on a DVD to try and up the chance of a sequel getting made. Because I don’t have an online profile or persona or anything like that I can’t speak to these people directly, but what I want to say is that’s so good of you, and thank you, but keep your money because the people who make the decisions don’t get moved by that kind of thing. They’re moved by other stuff, other equations, other algorithms”
“How can I say this without being soppy? It’s touching. It means something that these people support the film in that way, but the thing people want, which is a sequel, I don’t think is going to happen. I think it will happen (let me rephrase that) I don’t think it’s happening with me and the people who made the last one”
While initially Garlands statements above sound like he is saying that a sequel to the 2012 movie will never happen, as other sites are claiming, he is in fact saying that should said sequel be made, he has no intention of being involved, unlike star Karl Urban whom continues to rally supporters together for the sequel. In his statements above Garland says "The story of Dredd is that of a failed movie. Both times...", yet the facts speak otherwise - 1995's Judge Dredd was a commercial success, but was critically panned; conversely 2012's Dredd failed to recuperate on its $45 million budget but has been critically acclaimed and has even attained cult status. Garland has clearly moved on from Dredd with directing Ex Machinima. We wish him luck, but his frquent bashing of Dredd is starting to come over as bitter and disgruntled.
A sequel to Dredd is a viable possibility, it just needs the right script, the right cast, a modest budget and a less restrictive rating - while some fans will argue that a Dredd move should be R-rated the reality of such a rating is a smaller possible audience in the theatres, and thus smaller possible profit. Of course at the same time fans will be expecting a brutal, violent movie and not the buddy comedy that was the 1995 movie. Thus the answer to a viable Dredd sequel is simple - a less violent version of the 2012 movie with more action!
About the Dredd movie
Dredd September 7th, 2012
In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO.
Directed by Pete Travis, Dredd's release date is September 7th, 2012.
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