Total Film recently interviewed Karl Urban who is playing Judge Dredd in the new re-imagining, DREDD, due out next year. The actor had this to say;
If anyone is familiar with Dredd, over the years there are many times when he removes his helmet but you never fully see his face,” said Urban. “This was a construct by the creators because he represents a faceless system of justice and law.
I say this hypothetically. If I went to a movie called ‘Judge Dredd’ and the lead actor at one point took of his helmet so we could see his full face, I would just puke in my popcorn because that’s not Dredd. He is mysterious and enigmatic. We’re doing it right. It’s gonna be harder, grittier and above all faithful to the comic. It’s gonna kick ass.
Now why is the above quote relevant? Well it’s all because of the huge flop and universal embarrassment that was 1995’s JUDGE DREDD, starring Sylvester Stallone. Not only was it an issue that Dredd’s face was revealed in the movie, but that the character hardly wore his helmet at all. It my seem like a minor detail but the helmet and anonymity it brings is an integral part of the comic’s version of Dredd. So Urban’s comments should reassure fans and everyone else as it means the original source material is being taken seriously.
DREDD arrives in cinemas September 2012
