Summary
- Despite being released during the comic book movie craze, "Dredd" failed to achieve the same success as other big studio films like "The Avengers" and "The Dark Knight Rises."
- "Dredd" had a budget of $45 million and was filmed in South Africa to cut down on costs.
- Although "Dredd" did not earn enough at the box office to break even with its budget, it received positive reviews and saw success after its release on home video, leaving room for a potential sequel in the future.
Dredd came out in 2012, at the height of the comic book movie craze, but it failed to attain the same success as the likes of The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, both of which premiered in the same year. The science fiction action film was based on the Judge Dredd comics, created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. The movie was directed by Pete Travis, written by Alex Garland, and distributed by Entertainment Film Distributors in the United Kingdom. As a result, Dredd did not have the same financial opportunities as other (more triumphant) comic book films from big studios like Disney and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Karl Urban starred as the titular character in the 2012 movie, and the rest of the cast included Olivia Thirlby as Cassandra Anderson, Lena Headey as Madeline "Ma-Ma" Madrigal, Wood Harris as Kay, Domhnall Gleeson as an unnamed computer genius, and Francis Chouler as Judge Guthrie. Dredd was the second adaptation of the 1977 comic, following the 1995 film Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone as the law enforcement and judicial officer. The two movies were very different, but unlike Judge Dredd, Dredd was unable to gain traction at the box office.
Dredd's Budget Was $45 Million
Before the cast and crew of Dredd began filming, the production company gave the filmmakers a budget of $45 million to make the best movie possible. Principal photography began in November 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa, and continued for 13 weeks in the city. They shot numerous scenes at Cape Town Film Studios, being the first movie to do so, and filmed on location in Johannesburg. Because of their limited budget, the producers chose South Africa as Dredd's filming location because of its cheaper costs, as opposed to shooting the movie in the United States or Europe, where it would be more expensive.
Dredd's Total Box Office Earnings Were Less Than Its Budget
Dredd premiered on September 7, 2012, and after a run at the box office, it failed to break even with its budget. According to a Dredd sequel in the future.
Source: The Numbers
