‘Judge Dredd’ getting live-action TV show

Comic book icon Judge Dredd is getting his own live-action TV series, courtesy of two independent companies: IM Global, an entertainment studio, and Rebellion, a U.K. games publisher and developer.

The TV show will be called “Judge Dredd: Mega City One,” and will take place in the non-too-distant future of the 22nd century. In the story, the US East Coast is a megalopolis that’s been overrun with criminals, and it’s up to Dredd and his fellow Judges—cops who have been bestowed the power to act as judge, jury, and executioner—to clean up the streets. The show will be an ensemble drama that will focus not only on Dredd, but also his colleagues.

“Judge Dredd: Mega City One” is still early in development, so no actors have been attached to the project yet.

Drokk, Judge Dredd is coming to TV! Judge Dredd: Mega-City One is now in development! @EW has the exclusive: https://t.co/GbxSfmwvOB pic.twitter.com/RTYC2nNhfI

— 2000 AD (@2000AD) May 10, 2017

Judge Dredd was created in 1977 by British writer John Wagner and Spanish comics artist Carlos Ezquerra. They envisioned Dredd as an incorruptible, tough, no-nonsense cop who has no qualms about brutalizing “perps.” The character made his inaugural appearance in the British sci-fi comics anthology 2000 AD, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this 2017.

In the video below, WatchMojo details the character’s origins.

Judge Dredd was previously the subject of two Hollywood movies: the disappointing 1995 film starring Sylvester Stallone, and 2012’s criminally underrated “Dredd,” which starred Karl Urban (and “Game of Thrones’” Lena Headey as a scary, hideously scarred drug lord). While the latter underperformed at the box office, it has been lauded by critics, and especially loved by fans for its faithfulness to the source material.

Also, unlike Stallone’s Dredd, Urban’s kept his damn helmet on.

“Judge Dredd: Mega City One” will be executive produced by Mark Stern, the IM Global Television president who is known for his work on Syfy’s “Defiance,” “Helix,” and “Battlestar Galactica”; IM Global Television CEO Stuart Ford; and Rebellion owners Chris and Jason Kingsley.

“This is one of those seminal sci-fi properties that seems to only become and more relevant with age,” stated Stern. “Not only is it a rich world with biting social commentary, but it’s also fun as hell! As a fan of the comics and both films, it’s a dream come true to be able to work with Jason and Chris in adapting this for television.”

Jason Kingsley and producer Brian Jenkins discuss the upcoming TV show in the video below.

The two Kingsleys expressed their enthusiasm to bring Judge Dredd to the small screen, and thanked the property’s fans for their support on social media.

“We aim to make a big budget production that will satisfy both our vast comics audience and the even greater general screen-watching public,” they said. — BM, GMA News