EXCLUSIVE - FIRST STILL FROM DREDD!

[radiator]

I can only guess that we have to see how well this one does before they decide on the next one. There is talk of a franchise, but it's too early to tell. But with the creative team behind this show, along with the cast, I can't really see why it wouldn't do well enough to warrant a sequel or two. It's a classic character introduction movie, allowing for expansion of the universe in the future, instead of trying to do everything all at once..

That's interesting - I've noticed that your posts started off quite lukewarm and have been getting a lot more positive in tone recently - is that a fair assessment? Have you been impressed overall with the production so far and how does it compare to previous jobs?

Also, were you at all familiar with Judge Dredd/2000ad before starting on Dredd?

[JOE SOAP]

Apologies if this has been said before I just popped on over to the Hero Concept Art Facebook page and they have a Photo Album entitled "Dreddful Album" and within the few photos is what appears to be a full scale U-Boat.  A red herring perhaps ?

I believe the U-Boat is a somewhat "fixture" at the studio.

[dweezil2]

Today was a great news day! Excitement levels on maximum!

Tipping a hat to Verhoeven levels of violence is a smart move!

[Michaelvk]

Apologies if this has been said before I just popped on over to the Hero Concept Art Facebook page and they have a Photo Album entitled "Dreddful Album" and within the few photos is what appears to be a full scale U-Boat.  A red herring perhaps ?

It's a left over from a movie called Laconia that was shot here in 2009..

[Keef Monkey]

Today was a great news day! Excitement levels on maximum!

Tipping a hat to Verhoeven levels of violence is a smart move!

On the subject of the gore, if it's a bit splattery like that it'll be interesting to see what the ratings board gives it. I just bought the Evil Dead movies on Blu-Ray and noticed 2 has been downgraded to a 15, which given the amount of gore in that film is an interesting example of how much more lenient the board is these days.

Tone probably has a lot to do with it, but if the violence is of the over the top splatter Robocop variety then it's not a million miles from something like ED2. Hoping this means they won't need to compromise on the action to avoid a less commercial 18 certificate.

[JOE SOAP]

It's being made with an R rating in mind.

[Michaelvk]

I can only guess that we have to see how well this one does before they decide on the next one. There is talk of a franchise, but it's too early to tell. But with the creative team behind this show, along with the cast, I can't really see why it wouldn't do well enough to warrant a sequel or two. It's a classic character introduction movie, allowing for expansion of the universe in the future, instead of trying to do everything all at once..

That's interesting - I've noticed that your posts started off quite lukewarm and have been getting a lot more positive in tone recently - is that a fair assessment? Have you been impressed overall with the production so far and how does it compare to previous jobs?

Also, were you at all familiar with Judge Dredd/2000ad before starting on Dredd?

Lukewarm because I wasn't entirely sure how much I could or couldn't say. I sort of got an all clear on my postings from those in charge, but I'm still in no way an official voice of the production, and opinions expressed are obviously my own and not those of DNA or Rena films..

Every job is different. This is, as South Africa goes, one of the bigger ones I've worked on (I'm not counting 10000BC, which was crap.. I was a mere model maker flunky on the miniature unit there). My previous job was BBC's upcoming series Outcasts, where as far as design goes there's almost not a single shot where I didn't have a hand in what's on the screen. It was a much smaller, looser art department, and as far as working environments go, I'd be honest and say it was more fun. However, Dredd is one of those fantastic once in a lifetime gigs, but because of it's size and subject matter, it's not as free as Outcasts was. There's a lot of input from above because they want this to be as good a representation of Dredd as they can get it. It took me a while to get my head around the concept of no longer being the rockstar I was on Outcasts, but once I'd adjusted to the system, I was rolling with it quite happily.

I will be honest and have to admit that I knew about Dredd, but because I spent most of my years in the Netherlands, I never had proper/any access to it. I do love what I've read and I'm quite sure if I did have proper access to them, I would've been here years ago.

[wadew1]

Verhoeven levels of gore? That would be great. No one really does those gigantic, Verhoeven-ish squib hits anymore. So I guess they're going to be using very little cg when it comes to blood and all that?

[radiator]

I think Dredd would have to go pretty damn far to get landed with an 18 rating - Kick-Ass had limbs getting chopped off, people exploding in microwaves, multiple gunshot wounds and even a c-word, and that got a 15!

(Though secretly I'm hoping for a 15 theatrical release with a totally batshit 18 rated Directors Cut Blu-Ray!).

It's quite heartening that Michael is referencing films like Robocop and Predator - no-one really makes films like that any more - action films nowadays tend to be quite slick and sanitised. It's weird, because I don't really think of Dredd as a particularly violent comic, but I suppose you just kind of get desensitised to it after reading it for so many years - thinking about it, even the more subdued stories tend to have quite a high body count.

[Mark Taylor]

Now who'll be playing the Chief Judge I wonder?

My ideal choice would be Sigourney Weaver, like that's going to happen!

[Steve Green]

I guess it will all be about context on the ratings.

Most of the 18 rated films these days tend to be of the Saw/Hostel variety where it's more the torture porn kind of thing going on.

The Final Destination series have some pretty gruesome deaths, but they're almost played for laughs and they are 15 rated.

I'm guessing it might scrape a 15, possibly... Starship Troopers is an 18, but I'm not sure it's justified anymore as it's so OTT.

[radiator]

Starship Troopers is one of those films that was a 15 in the cinema, but for some reason an 18 on video/DVD.

[radiator]

My ideal choice would be Sigourney Weaver, like that's going to happen!

She popped into my head, too - I suppose it's not completely outside the realm of possibility.

[wadew1]

Weaver worked with the director of DREDD on VANTAGE POINT.

[LARF]

If you have a browse through Hero's pics, you'll see pics of me showing a class full of people how guns work..

If Carling made jobs it would be yours!

By the way you look a bit like Richmond, separated at birth perhaps? 

Don't have much time to post these days but thanks for all the posts Michael, really appreciated.