Box-office flop but now regarded as a genuine cult-classic.
Much like events in real life, timing is everything in La La Land. There’s a reason why studios jostle, plan and earmark certain dates to launch their tentpole features because as we all know, Hollywood is all about show-business. We frequently get to see the ‘show’, but it’s the ‘business’ that really matters.
Without even paying close attention to it, it’s very likely that you’re aware of the significance that film studios place on launching their movies on particular dates – Labor Day, the July 4th weekend etc.
Hell, the way we even consume film is dictated by the calendar. It’s not a coincidence that big blockbusters and kiddie-friendly films are released around the summer and Christmas holidays, but in some cases, timing can be a real bitch.
In 2012, Alex Garland and Pete Travis did their very best to reboot the iconic comic-book character Judge Dredd with their violent, gritty and ultra-violent film, Dredd.
It flopped at the box-office as it’s $50 million budget only recouped about $35m in domestic and foreign ticket sales.
This being said, much like The Shawshank Redemption, The Bourne Identity and Event Horizon, Dredd found its audience on DVD and since then, it’s rightfully being hailed as a cult-classic.
Set in a dystopian future that depicts America as an irradiated waste land, Dredd is uncompromising, tough and “something of a triumph” – to quote The Guardian’s review.
On the East Coast, of America, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One- a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called “Judges” who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge – a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of “Slo-Mo” experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed.
You might think that a gory, visceral and action-packed sci-fi isn’t a critical darling but it is.
AP – “A wickedly dark comic streak breaks up the vivid violence and relentless bleakness of “Dredd 3D.”
The Standard – “Dredd is like a gun – not everyone likes them and they’re only good for one thing, but they do that one thing really, really well.”
USA Today – “While not for the squeamish, Dredd 3D is an effectively gritty B movie accentuated by stylish visuals and irreverent humor.”
Hollywood Reporter – “Dredd 3D constantly impresses on a visual level, with a gritty style more akin to cult hits like District 9 or 28 Days Later than to standard Hollywood comic-book blockbusters.”
Ok, the critics like it and Dredd also taps into a genre that’s beloved by film fans. So what went wrong at the box-office?
Karl Urban has offered his own opinion on that. “Dredd represented a failure in marketing. I saw the tracking of that film weeks before it came out and the fundamental problem was no one knew it was being released. Once it came out on DVD and it sold 750,000 copies in the first week alone in North America alone, it was very clear that the audience had discovered it,” he said.
Even in cases like this, some films can still thrive at the box-office due to the ‘star power’ of the cast involved. Dredd was unfortunate because it’s talented cast are all terrific actors, but they’ll openly admit that they’re not ‘celebrities’ in the sense that the likes of Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Matt Damon are.
You know, celebrities that are known in the furthest parts of outer Mongolia.
Karl Urban is a wonderful actor that’s featured in some of the best franchises around, but even the nature of Judge Dredd’s character meant that his face was hidden throughout the film. Not ideal for marketing, but as the actor said, they never found a way to get the word about this film to reach its audience.
In fact, Urban’s performance is so good that you’ll be begging for a follow-up.
Dredd 2 : I'd do it !! @netflix or @Amazon . There's a gold mine of Awesome Mega city 1 stories ! https://t.co/5KeUAizPNS
— Karl Urban (@KarlUrban) April 21, 2016
Shortly after making Dredd, Domhnall Gleeson’s career went absolutely stratospheric with roles in The Force Awakens, Brooklyn and Ex Machina. The same thing happened to another Dredd cast member, Lena Headey.
Her breathtaking performance as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones has helped make that show a cultural phenomenon. If Dredd was released now, who knows what type of impact this increased ‘star power’ could have? It certainly would help.
Hell, even the plot of Dredd was the victim of unfortunate timing because it shared similarities with Gareth Evans’ superb actioner, The Raid.
See, timing can make the difference.
On that note, make some time to see Dredd when it airs on E4 at 1o pm tonight.
