Look, I think we're all in agreement that a sequel to Dredd simply has to happen. The 2012 re-adaptation of the classic 2000 AD anti-hero was a sleeper hit, skipping over behind-the-scenes troubles and a limited theatrical run by becoming a smash on DVD and streaming services. Since the want, nay, demand for a follow-up has been getting ever more vehement, from both fans, stars and the filmmakers alike. The original Dredd was, for the most part, an original story, relying on the comics more for backstory and characters. Which you can probably get away with when you've got someone like Alex Garland (28 Days Later, The Beach) penning your film. How's about, though, the next film pulls a little more from the extensive back catalogue Dredd has amassed during his near-40 years as Britain's number one comic book export? How's about we comb through that very back catalogue right now, and pick out some of the gems that we think would work best as a sequel to Dredd? How's about we skip over the more fantastical, silly or supernatural storylines - no matter how beloved - because the film is clearly supposed to be more "grounded" and "realistic" than that? How's about we not mention that psychic powers aren't actually that grounded? How's about that, huh?
15. Block Mania/Bad Moon Rising
It makes sense, doesn't it? The first Dredd takes place entirely in the confines of one of Mega-City One's dystopian high-rises, or "blocks", and effectively established one corner of the series' universe. So, to build on those foundations, you expand outwards into a storyline like 1981's Block Mania, where the occupants of said high-rises start going to war with each other, with the Judges struggling to keep the peace in the middle. Not only would having Dredd scoot about between different locations give the sequel a larger set of locations to work with (rather than just, well, one), in the comics Block Mania also sowed the seeds for the epic Apocalypse War arc, a Cold War analogue where Mega-City One going to war with its Soviet counterpart, East Meg One, when the latter's involvement in starting the block war becomes clear. I'm just saying, if they want to stretch it out to a trilogy... If they wanted to (or have to) keep it smaller scale - for budgetary reasons, maybe - then the minds behind our hypothetical Dredd 2 could do worse than pilfer some ideas from Bad Moon Rising, a recent novel which sees the Judges trying to contain a riot in Sector 87 of Mega-City One. The twist with the book is each chapter encompasses an hour of the riot; maybe every ten minutes for the film?
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
