In The Boys, actor Karl Urban appears as Billy Butcher, playing a tough and brutal guy. Another role in an action-movie could offer him something similar – returning to it would be his big wish.
Who is Karl Urban? On one hand, film fans know him from The Lord of the Rings, where he portrayed Éomer. On the other hand, series fans may have seen him in The Boys. There he plays Billy Butcher, the arch-enemy of Homelander and head of the titular “Boys”. Thus, he got to portray a character that acts violently and manipulatively.
Already 14 years ago, the actor stepped into a role that was similarly brutal and whose film received an age rating of 18 years. We are talking about Judge Dredd in the film Dredd.
As Karl Urban has now revealed, the role was close to his heart, and a return to it would be a no-brainer for him.
“I would take on this role again immediately”
What kind of movie is Dredd? The film was released in 2012 and was already the second adaptation of the comic series Judge Dredd, which originally appeared in the British magazine 2000 AD. The first adaptation came to cinemas in 1995, featuring Sylvester Stallone in the lead role, who later regretted the film.
The version with Karl Urban once again tells of a dystopian future, set in the city Mega City One. There, people live in high-rise buildings, safe from the atomic radiation that has rendered the surrounding areas uninhabitable.
The so-called Judges combine several professions in one: They are both police officers and judges and, when in doubt, executioners. In the film, Dredd meets the still inexperienced recruit Cassandra Anderson. Together, they stand against the drug baroness Ma-Ma, played by Lena Headey, known as Cersei in Game of Thrones.
What does Karl Urban say today about the film? In an interview with The Playlist, the actor expressed his fondness for the role and the work on the film overall:
I would take on this role again immediately. I really would. I had so much fun filming this movie.
Karl Urban
Dredd received good reviews in 2012 and stands at Rotten Tomatoes with a rating of 80% (169 reviews). Over 100,000 users rated it slightly lower, giving it 72%.
Why hasn’t a sequel been made so far? This is mainly due to the poor box office performance. Box Office Mojo states that the film alone cost 50 million US dollars for production. Marketing costs have not yet been included.
In the end, Dredd only grossed 41 million US dollars worldwide. This is usually not enough in Hollywood to get the green light to immediately produce a sequel.
However, 14 years have passed, and they are trying again. According to Hollywood Reporter, director Taika Waititi will direct a forthcoming Judge Dredd film. This raises the question of whether Karl Urban will reprise the role.
At this time, it remains unclear. However, since the new film is intended to be a reboot for the series, it is doubted that they will return to the same actor. Karl Urban stated to The Playlist pragmatically:
If I’m not involved, that’s okay with me. I just want to see more Dredd stories.
Karl Urban
This is probably how the comic fans feel as well, who can look forward to a new interpretation by the director known for his quirky humor, Taika Waititi. What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to share them in the comments. If you’re more interested in nature documentaries rather than action, check this out: A Netflix series could be a hit for any fan of Jurassic Park – Even Spielberg is involved
