Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi is reportedly attached to direct a new Judge Dredd movie.
Information on a Judge Dredd revival comes from THR, which says the Oscar winner will develop the film with the hopes that it could spawn additional movies and shows should it perform.
Plot details and a release date remain under wraps, but the project is said to pull more from comic book source material with a focus on world-building and dark humor rather than any of the previous movie adaptations have.
Also attached to the new Judge Dredd movie is The Fall Guy and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation screenwriter Drew Pearce, who will write the script. THR sources say Waititi and Pearce grew up reading Judge Dredd material and have “been trying to find a project to work on together for years.” It seems Judge Dredd will be the force allowing them to finally collaborate.
Judge Dredd got his start as a pop-culture and action icon in the ‘70s and has evolved in the decades since he first began bringing justice to the dystopian streets of Mega-City One. Movie fans first saw the character portrayed by Sylvester Stallone in 1995’s Judge Dredd. It was a movie panned by critics, fans, and even franchise co-creator John Wagner that managed to find its way onto our list of the 15 worst comic book movies of all time.
Thankfully, Judge Dredd had his reputation brought back to life, helmet and all, with 2012’s Dredd. Starring Karl Urban and written by 28 Years Later’s Alex Garland, it’s a reboot we gave an 8/10 upon its release, and it even managed to land on our list of the 15 best R-rated comic book movies in 2022. Now, Waititi and Pearce have the chance to bring Judge Dredd back to movie fans once again.
While no actor has been mentioned for the title role, it’s worth noting that Karl Urban and Taika Waititi, both New Zealanders, previously worked together on Thor: Ragnarok where Urban played Skurge.
The new Judge Dredd movie is produced by Chris Kinglsey, Jason Kinglsey, and Ben Smith, the rights holders at Rebellion Developments. Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee will also produce alongside Pearce, Jeremy Platt, and Natalie Viscuso.
While we wait to see who will play Judge Dredd, you can read about the time Urban said he’d be willing to return to a rumoured Judge Dredd TV series. You can also check out the Dredd sequel that fans wanted but never came to be.
Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
