Back in 2012, Karl Urban starred as all-encompassing law enforcement officer Judge Dredd in Alex Garland's cult movie Dredd. Now, 13 years later, rumors are circulating that Urban could make a triumphant return to our screens as the titular character. The reported reboot comes in the form of a TV series from the production team behindThe Boys, where Urban plays fan-favorite Billy Butcher.
The 2012 Dredd movie was a pretty good comic book movie, but it was very much let down by frankly terrible marketing (or lack thereof). Helmed by Pete Travis (Civil War) and written by Alex Garland (28 Days Later), Dredd suffered badly at the box office. The reported numbers suggest it took just $41.5 million from a $30-$45 million budget. Of course, it may well have been bogged down by other genre movies of the years; all eyes were on The Avengers at the time, for instance.
Despite everything going against it, Dredd remains a well-loved movie. It's got a cult fanbase surrounding it. What's more, Urban has always been keen on continuing the story. “You know, I would love to make another one,” he said, per Dexerto. “I’ve gone on the record for years saying I’m definitely down to do it.”
Could Dredd have a future on the small screen?
So far this year, Dredd has had something of a resurgence thanks to streaming. In HBO Max's Top 10 charts, as released on February 3, 2025, Dredd came in at #8. For a movie over a decade old, that's a pretty impressive feat. Thanks to this, rumors are circulating that a sequel series could be in the pipeline.
The rumor comes from YouTube channel Tachyon Pulse Podcast, which claims that a streaming series is in the works at Prime Video, with the production team behind The Boys involved. It's worth noting that there's no real substance behind this rumor, but it's food for thought.
I, for one, would love to see Dredd return. And if any streamer is capable of pulling it off, it's Prime Video! Given that The Boys is ending with season 5, this feels like a pretty big opportunity to cover another iconic comic book story.
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