Karl Urban Claims Alex Garland Actually Directed ‘Dredd,’ Not Pete Travis
Zack Sharf
Rumors have persisted for years that the making of “Dredd,” the 2012 science-fiction film starring Karl Urban, was plagued by confrontations between Lionsgate and director Pete Travis in the editing room. The studio apparently disliked the direction Travis was taking the movie so much that he was forced out of post-production. The rumor has never been confirmed until now.
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Urban recently spoke with JoBlo about his hopes of continuing the franchise in a “Dredd” sequel, and he credited Alex Garland as one of the reasons the first movie has become such a cult classic. Garland was a writer and producer on “Dredd,” which came out years before Garland’s own directorial career flourished with “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” Reports always said that the studio had Garland come in and reshape the movie, and Urban’s comments seem to verify those accounts.
“A huge part of the success of ‘Dredd’ is in fact due to Alex Garland and what a lot of people don’t realize is that Alex Garland actually directed that movie,” Urban said.
When the JoBlo reporter then proposed the idea of Garland directing the sequel, Urban got excited and responded: “That would rock my world. I just hope when people think of Alex Garland’s filmography that ‘Dredd’ is the first film that he made before ‘Ex Machina.’ You think about it in those terms; it goes ‘Dredd,’ ‘Ex Machina,’ ‘Annihilation.’”
Prior to “Dredd,” Travis was best known as the director of “Vantage Point” while Garland was the acclaimed screenwriter of “Never Let Me Go” and “28 Days Later.” The film was a box office disappointment but earned legions of fans who have been clamoring for a sequel and/or television spinoff.
Garland’s “Annihilation” is now playing in theaters nationwide.
