"Dredd" could score a sequel thanks to strong home video sales and an enthusiastic critical response, according to actor Karl Urban.
Having starred as law enforcer Judge Dredd in the 2012 sci-fi film, Urban said that he has met with writer-producer Alex Garland and they are actively exploring the possibility of a sequel.
"It's certainly my hope that we get to make more … clearly it has found an audience," Urban said during a Comic-Con International press event on Friday that included Airlock Alpha. "The home video sales for 'Dredd' just went through the roof. I think it sold 650,000 units in the first week."
However, the film only earned about $36 million at the box office on an estimated budget of $45 million. That had initially derailed any hopes of a sequel.
"It's amazing how these things occurred," Urban said. "Not to compare it directly to 'Blade Runner,' but when 'Blade Runner' came out it was a film that didn't necessarily do what you thought that it should have done at the box office. I feel the same way about 'Dredd.' The reviews were overwhelmingly fantastic … but for whatever reason it didn't do the box office numbers that it should have."
Now Urban is seeking fan support to help make the sequel a reality.
"I think the more people that campaign for it, the more people that email, Twitter and write into Lionsgate and say 'We want to see more of this,' then the more likelihood is that we'll get to see that. We certainly are doing everything we can to ensure that happens."
"Dredd" was a British-South African production directed by Pete Travis ("Vantage Point," "Endgame") and written and produced by Garland ("Sunshine"). It also starred Rachel Wood, Olivia Thirlby, Wood Harris and Lena Headey.
The film is based on a British comic series that first appeared in 1977. Created by John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, the comic centers on a law enforcement officer with the power to arrest, sentence and terminate criminals on the spot for a futuristic city overrun by violence.
In 1995, Sylvester Stallone starred in the first film adaption, "Judge Dredd." It was directed by Danny Cannon ("Phoenix," "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer").
