Director Pete Travis and writer Alex Garland have issued a statement to The LA Times regarding all the recent hubbub. If you don’t have a clue what we’re on about, skip this update and read our previous post. But if you’ve been following the drama, read on to see whether you buy it or not. We’re not too sure…

During all stages of the filmmaking, ‘Dredd’ has been a collaboration between a number of dedicated creative parties. From the outset we decided on an unorthodox collaboration to make the film. This situation has been misinterpreted. To set the record straight, Pete was not fired and remains a central part of the collaboration, and Alex is not seeking a co-director credit. We are all extremely proud of the film we have made, and respectfully suggest that it is judged on viewing when its released next year.

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It was all looking so good wasn’t it. After Danny Cannon’s 1995 JUDGE DREDD movie, fans were left crushed that their favourite lawman was treated so poorly. 15 years later and the news dropped that another Danny had acquired the rights to have another stab – thankfully it was Boyle this time, the director behind such classic Brit flicks as TRAINSPOTTING and 28 DAYS LATER. Though only producing the project through his DNA Films production company, at least we knew it would be in safe hands. And with Rebellion (the good folks who own 2000AD) heavily involved this time, we were at least promised that the worst offending elements of the Stallone version (the helmet debacle, the wacky Rob Schneider sidekick, etc) would have no place in this new movie. Even creators John Wagner & Carlos Ezguerra were brought on board to give it their blessing. Long-time Boyle collaborator Alex Garland (THE BEACH; SUNSHINE) was hired to pen the screenplay and off they went to erase our memories of Dredd’s first big-screen outing.

Though details are somewhat thin on the ground, it’s apparent that the production hasn’t been too smooth – just look at the constant re-juggling of the release date. Something’s clearly not gone to plan there, otherwise we’d be due to take a trip to Mega City One in just over a month’s time. Instead, we’re projected a wait of a further ten months.

From what we’ve glimpsed of the movie, Urban’s look has been greeted with mixed opinions from fans – but it’s unfair to judge him until the first trailer hits (which is also strangely absent). Hopefully those helmets won’t look so bobble-headed on screen, and Urban can tone that goofy looking Dredd-style sneer he’s got going on in every image we’ve seen.

But the biggest alarm bell has rung recently, when the news dropped that DREDD director Pete Travis (VANTAGE POINT) has been removed from the post-production process at the behest of the studio. Reportedly they weren’t liking what they were seeing. Ouch. Alex Garland has now been brought in to oversee the editing process in his place and could technically be granted a co-director credit should the rumoured reshoots go forward. Sounds like quite the mess.

Don’t get us wrong, we remain hopeful that the aforementioned dream-teaming of talent involved with the production can rise above whatever nonsense they’re dealing with and deliver the movie fans deserve… but we’re dialling down our expectations for now.

More as it comes in.

DREDD stars Karl urban as Judge Dredd, Olivia Thirlby as Judge Anderson, and Lena Headey as villain Madeline ‘Ma-Ma’ Madrigal. Current release date is scheduled for September 2012. But don’t hold your breath. 

Thoughts? Share ’em with your fellow readers in the Comments section below or on twitter @Starburst_Mag

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