A box office dud that became one of the century’s defining cult classics still excites and infuriates equally

It’s been 10 whole years since the comic book adaptation first cratered at the box office, but Dredd continues to not just survive but thrive as one of the 21st Century’s defining cult classics.

There are hidden gems, underrated favorites, misjudged masterpieces, and everything else in between, but Pete Travis’ bullet-riddled action spectacular exists on a plane of existence entirely of its own. Karl Urban gets asked about it everywhere he goes, fans continue clamoring for a sequel, and as evidenced by the swathe of comments on a recent Reddit thread – it’s not leaving anybody’s hearts anytime soon, if it ever does at all.

It’s a travesty that Dredd failed to recoup its $45 million budget from theaters, robbing everyone of the multi-film Mega-City One franchise it fully deserved to launch. Urban also delivers what might be the single greatest performance by a human chin in the history of cinema while the set pieces are figuratively and literally mind-blowing in their orchestration and execution.

The sci-fi story has been a reliable performer on streaming and VOD for the last decade, but the fact folks are still lamenting the lack of a second chapter so long after the fact only serves to hammer home just how deeply Dredd embedded itself in the action junkie psyche, but at least we’ve got the press circuit for the impending fourth season of The Boys to look forward to so we can hear Urban address the nonstop chatter all over again.

Dredd‘s pedestal is cemented by the fact that any mention of a reboot would no doubt draw derision from its supporters, who want a sequel or nothing at all.