Karl Urban to be Judge Dredd?

Above: NZ actor Karl Urban and 'Judge Dredd' (painted by Simon Bisley).

According to a report over at Bleeding Cool, New Zealand actor Karl Urban ('Star Trek', 'Doom', 'Lord of the Rings') has been offered the lead role in the forthcoming movie reboot of the famed British comic character 'Judge Dredd' created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.

It's been 15 years since Sylvester Stallone's disastrous attempt to bring the lawman of Mega-City One to the silver screen, derided by fans and critics alike for abandoning the comic's satirical edge and dark humour in favour of a more straight forward action movie approach. The decision to remove Dredd's iconic helmet in the movie was also a huge slap in the face for fans, as Dredd's true face has largely remained a mystery throughout the decades of the character's publishing history.

It's expected that if Urban accepts the role, the helmet will stay securely fastened at all times!

The new version of the film from Rebellion and DNA Films is expected to start shooting later this year for a 3D release, from a script by Alex Garland ('The Beach', 'Sunshine', '28 Days Later').

In the Meantime, Urban will be keeping his geek credentials up by appearing alongside Bruce Willis in the movie 'Red', based on the comic series created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, which opens in October.

-AK!