It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Stallone's outing as Dredd in '95. So for me, there is a real possibility of a great, new beginning for this amazing character on the big screen.
A number of plot details are available, still a month away from it's theatrical release, and much has been made of it's unrelenting, brutal visual styling. All that remains is how it's received by audiences.
Alex Garland, writer and producer of Dredd, has already said there's more to come. If Dredd takes enough at the box office, what might we have to look forward to?
Judge Death:
Undoubtedly the most anticipated character from the 200AD universe, Judge Death is a character who originated from the alternate universe 'Deadworld' which he himself created. Son of a psychopathic dentist, he began killing at a young age, starting with 3 school bullies. He became a Judge so he was able to kill people legally. His enthusiasm for which earning him the nickname of Judge Death. His psychosis lead him to believe that as all crime was committed by the living, life itself was a crime. Spawning his vision of 'total justice' (the extermination of all life), and catchphrase "The crime is life, the sentence death!".
Once finished extinguishing all life in his world, Judge Death made crossed over to Mega City One and made several attempts to do the same there. There is even crossover with Gotham City.
There are so many great stories and characters surrounding Judge Death, that it almost seems impossible that a studio would not want to go there.
Necropolis:
Having been saved from Ma-Ma in Dredd, could this be the next peril to befall Mega City One? The Necropolis story arc sees Mega City One captured by Judge Death and his fellow Dark Judges. It also sees Dredd fall from grace, making for a perfect third act triumphant return that equates to box office gold. If you want a great introduction to Dredd and 2000AD, check this story out (progs 674-699).
The Dark Judges:
Judge Death is just one of four Dark Judges, all of who are seriously bad ass (the others being Judge Mortis, Judge Fear, and Judge Fire). Themselves Judges from an alternate universe, the other Dark Judges are all devoted to Death's ideals and cause. Whilst Death makes the dimensional jump to Mega City One first, his subsequent defeat means the others shortly follow. A formidable adversary of Dredd and all life in Mega City One, there's also ample opportunity for a Dark Judges origins story.
Cynics might call it money making tactics, I call it exciting times ahead. Who knows, Dredd's popularity could see The Dark Knight and Dredd join forces to save Gotham? (see Judgement on Gotham)
Come on Karl, Alex and crew, do Dredd proud!
