Taika Waiтιтi is one of the most popular filmmakers working today, and the director is now attached to a film based on the Judge Dredd sci-fi franchise. With two live-action movies and a variety of other projects, Judge Dredd has gained a cult following, and Taika Waiтιтi is set to take the reins for the fracnhise’s next feature film entry.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Taika Waiтιтi will direct the upcoming Judge Dredd film that will be written by Fall Guy and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation writer Drew Pearce. The film will also be produced by Chris Kingsley, Jason Kingsley, Ben Smith, Roy Lee, Jeremy Platt, Natalie Viscuso, and Pearce.

Very little is known about the upcoming movie, but THR reports that the upcoming film will take “inspiration more from the comics than the previous screen iterations.” The film will also lean more into the dark humor of the comics, and it is meant to launch a larger Judge Dredd universe “that could be explored with additional movies and shows across various platforms.“

What Taika Waiтιтi’s Involvement Means For The Judge Dredd Movie

Based On The Director’s Previous Films

Taika Waiтιтi is definitely an interesting pick for the upcoming Judge Dredd movie, as the franchise’s tone is quite different from the director’s typical films. The lighthearted humor seen in movies like Thor: Ragnarok and Hunt for the Wilderpeople is far more cheerful than Judge Dredd‘s dark humor, meaning that Waiтιтi may be broadening his filmmaking horizons.

A new Judge Dredd movie is exciting news for fans of the franchise, and it will be interesting to see if it succeeds. 1995’s Judge Dredd and 2012’s Dredd aren’t known for being mᴀssive critical or commercial successes, but there seems to be a lot of confidence in Taika Waiтιтi’s take based on the reported fans for franchise expansion.

Our Take On Taika Waiтιтi’s Judge Dredd

Is The Third Time The Charm?

Hopefully Waiтιтi’s Judge Dredd is great, but the director admittedly is an odd pick for this project. Waiтιтi has proven that he can delve into social satire and dark humor with projects like Jojo Rabbit and What We Do in the Shadows, so it is possible that the director can move away from his more recent blockbuster works and make something like the Judge Dredd comics.

However, I am doubtful that the third time’s the charm for Judge Dredd. Two high-profile Judge Dredd movies have failed, one starring Sylvester Stallone. Waiтιтi alone probably isn’t enough to make the new film successful, and while a major star and a good marketing campaign could make Judge Dredd a hit, it’s impossible to say for now.