A sci-fi sequel 13 years in the making is now closer than ever – with a Marvel director at the helm

After years of fan requests and failed starts, it seems a sci-fi sequel we've all prayed for is finally back on the cards. What's more, the director of Thor: Ragnarok, The Mandalorian and What We Do in the Shadows is reportedly attached.

It's been 13 years since Dredd hit cinemas (in 3D, no less) and even though its star Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Boys) was keen to get cracking on a sequel, it sadly never happened.

The owner of iconic British comic 2000AD (in which Judge Dredd appears), Rebellion, even created its own TV and movie production company, and announced a TV spin-off: Judge Dredd: Mega-City One. But news on that went quiet too.

Now it seems the plans have reverted to making another film, with Taika Waititi set to direct (via Deadline) and the writer of The Fall Guy, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and Iron Man 3, Drew Pearce, tasked with writing the screenplay.

Dredd 3D (2012) - Official Trailer #2 - YouTube

Watch On

Not much else is known about the movie yet – whether it's going to head to cinemas first or will be for one of the big streaming services. However, the fact that it's finally in the works again is enough reason to celebrate.

With Waititi on board it is likely to have more of a sense of humour than 2012's Dredd. And it doesn't have to try very hard to be better than Stallone's portrayal of the Judge in the 1995 misfire.

Comic book fans will already appreciate that the strip originally created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra has a dark sense of humour that offsets the extreme bouts of violence. It often plays as satire to the politics and trends of today, so it'd be great to see some of that come through in the next movie,

If so, it's more likely to be a reboot than a sequel, although I'd personally love to see Urban offered the eponymous role once more. He truly understands what makes Joe Dredd so unique, even amongst other Judges, while his acceptance in playing the part without ever taking his helmet off was admirable.

It looks like we'll have a while to wait before the new film gets fully underway, let alone being available to watch. But in the meantime, Duncan Jones' Rogue Trooper movie adaptation from another 2000AD property seems to be coming along well and should hit theatres beforehand.