9 Movies That Bombed Twice

As classic as the design of the character is, and praise can be given to how it portrayed the police state Mega-City One, the 1995 Judge Dredd film was lambasted upon release. It was not the satirical sci-fi action flick that fans of the comic books had been waiting for and was instead a dull, soulless affair with Sylvester Stallone providing a wooden performance as the titular Dredd.

In the US the movie only made $35m in box office but thankfully its international release saw it just about cross the line of breaking even. It didn’t make nearly enough as expected of a film helmed by a star of Stallone’s pedigree in the role of a beloved character.

That’s why it took over 15 years for the street judge to return to cinema screens, with 2012’s Dredd being an offering that really walked back a lot of the original’s errors. Its deadpan humour and cynical worldview were married perfectly with Karl Urban’s portrayal of Dredd.

Expectation for the film’s return was somewhat low considering its adult rating and the general perception of the property following 1995’s misfire. However Dredd underperformed even this. Its box office return of $40m overall was far less than the original, and whilst the budget was smaller it couldn’t quite manage to turn a profit.

Fans certainly got a film that they could perhaps finally enjoy, but it seems that Judge Dredd movies just aren’t built for mainstream cinema glory.