Dredd (2012)

[Steve Green]

I suppose the idea of quarries etc being a staple of Dr Who, Blake's 7 and *cough* fan films lends itself to the idea that it's a cheap option.

We filmed in the same location as a $100,000 + film, but like you say, you've still got the cost of everything around the shoot to take into account, and being out in the middle of nowhere (more so than somewhere like Dinorwig, adds a whole layer of stuff that you don't need to worry about in a studio).

There's also the added factor of the weather.

[Bat King]

My point entirely - that you acheived it.

It's very doable and surely there are specialist units that need a bit less hangers on than at a studio set.

[Steve Green]

Thanks - I'm not really qualified to comment on specialist units, my experience on 'proper' film sets is practically zero.

We were just having a bit of fun to see what could be done really...

[JOE SOAP]

Unless it's a small crewed short or student film, shooting a sci-fi film in a desert is no cheaper than shooting in a studio, and with Dredd, it's not as if The Cursed Earth is just a desert - there's still a certain expectation of spectacle and spectacle costs. Unless it's an adaptation of The Dead Man.

[Bubba Zebill]

I didn't say it would be cheap, I just think shooting a sequel set in Mega City 1 has to be much more expensive. Next to a contained block-environment a wasteland (even with all the wonders of the Cursed Earth) has to be the next best option on a budget.

[Beadle68]

Not bothered where its shot just shoot the bloody sequel now !!! I've waited long enough 

[JOE SOAP]

I didn't say it would be cheap, I just think shooting a sequel set in Mega City 1 has to be much more expensive. Next to a contained block-environment a wasteland (even with all the wonders of the Cursed Earth) has to be the next best option on a budget.

It can be if they were making something akin to A Boy and His Dog, but apparently -being a Judge Dredd story- it wouldn't just be set in The Cursed Earth. The outline we heard was to set half the film in Mega-City 1 and the other in The Cursed Earth. More varied locations can mean more expense in terms of scheduling, transport, infrastructure, sets, FX and equipment - which is partly why Dredd was set in one style of environment, not just one building or set. They could re-utilise/re-tool sets and FX for a film set entirely in Mega-City 1 but Cursed Earth scenes require new and different approaches in addition to established cityscapes and sets.

It all depends on the content and size of the story and if the story employs the flashback format employed in Origins rather than expository dialogue scenes in radioactive ruins.

[ZenArcade]

The Mega City is Judge Dredd....we've seen hundreds of films of bozos dicking around in the f**king Mojave or some other bit of dessicated scrub land (Judge Minty excepted as it was done on a shoe string and was a belter). The first film worked so well because it was believable, people thought, yep that could/probably will be the future. The City was an integral part of this, stick with the Big Meg, especially in tbe fashion portrayed in Dredd. Z

[Steve Green]

Oh, I don't know some kind of twisted Americana would be fun - not sure how it fits in with what they had in mind.

And we've got Fury Road on the horizon, if that tanks or does really well, it could be a factor for any post-apocalyptic desert-based films I guess.

[ABCwarBOT]

The Mega City is Judge Dredd....we've seen hundreds of films of bozos dicking around in the f**king Mojave or some other bit of dessicated scrub land (Judge Minty excepted as it was done on a shoe string and was a belter). The first film worked so well because it was believable, people thought, yep that could/probably will be the future. The City was an integral part of this, stick with the Big Meg, especially in tbe fashion portrayed in Dredd. Z

Yeah I wanna see more of the Big Meg too.   Maybe part of the film could be set in the CE but Mega City's the most interesting part of Judge Dredd and that's where most of the film should be set.   

[Bat King]

Plus there is no need to make films based too closely on any comic story. They might take elements from one or two here n there. But no need to set it on one.

[Bubba Zebill]

I've always liked the 'western' tonal change whenever we see The Cursed Earth. Mad-Max is always more punk somehow, like everyone is a Spikes Harvey Rotten, where as in Dredd it really feels like a kind of western. So I'd like that if anything, walking the line with the big meg and the western, crossing those worlds.

[Steve Green]

Dredd already had western elements in there though, particularly the lead-up to the mini-gun scene.

[8-Ball]

Plus there is no need to make films based too closely on any comic story. They might take elements from one or two here n there. But no need to set it on one.

Agreed. Just as long as it is just one or two elements. One of the biggest screw-ups of the Stallone movie was trying to cram in as many concepts from Dredd's history as possible without giving any of them any time to make an impact. 

[Bat King]

Someone should have pointed that out to IDW...