Oh, the old kiss of death for any film. There are those that might claim that a director being forcibly removed from the final phase of authorship is not necessarily the sign of a bad picture, but results like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time speak for themselves. Then there are examples like Jonah Hex and X-Men Origins: Wolverine where new directors were brought on to “consult” for reshoots. No matter what, switching horses midstream is a dangerous move that stinks of desperation. Just how much desperation is coming off of Judge Dredd remains to be seen, but the LA Times is reporting that Pete Travis is no longer involved with the production, with writer/producer Alex Garland taking over his chair in the editing bay in a serious way. Here’s where it gets weird. Apparently, Garland is also contemplating petitioning for a director’s credit on the film, despite not having shot any of it, because of how involved he is in the post-production phase. Reshoots are a possibility as well, but like all of the rest of the reporting, it’s been claimed by people unwilling or legally unable to give their names. So who knows. Of course, like anything with movies, all the juggling could lead to a successful flick. However, it’s important to note that if all of this is the case, it’s not the producers not having confidence in what Travis churned out that almost ensures a bad movie – it’s the lack of a singular, focused storytelling [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

What is Movie News After Dark? This is a question that I am almost never asked, but I will answer it for you anyway. Movie News After Dark is FSR’s newest late-night secretion, a column dedicated to all of the news stories that slip past our daytime editorial staff and make it into my curiously chubby RSS ‘flagged’ box. It will (but is not guaranteed to) include relevant movie news, links to insightful commentary and other film-related shenanigans. I may also throw in a link to something TV-related here or there. It will also serve as my place of record for being both charming and sharp-witted, but most likely I will be neither of the two. I write this shit late at night, what do you expect?

Is there any film more highly anticipated than the new Judge Dredd? Yes. There are many. However, it’s the only film out there that has the best chance of righting a wrong from the past. It’s a rare instance of a remake (or reboot or re-adaptation or re-envisioning) that people are supporting outright because of its redneck past. Fortunately, some new set photos have popped up, and they display a deserted Mega City One and its variety of snack options, dog catching vehicles and convenient INGSOC signage. If you see a visor-headed shadow spying on you while checking these out, run for your damned life.

Just yesterday it was rumored that Karl Urban was offered to play Judge Dredd and I can confirm that that’s true. When I confronted Urban at the end of Red press conference and asked him about this, he didn’t seem surprised at all. First he gave a big laugh as he was expecting the question, but then, surprisingly, he actually talked a bit about it. To hear exactly what the actor/Judge Dredd fan had to say about possibly taking the role, click after the jump. 

Before we get to the fact that Star Trek star Karl Urban may be a candidate to play the title role in the upcoming Judge Dredd reboot, there are a few things to keep in mind. The plan this time around is to make a Dredd that is closer to the tone of the comics. Meaning something darker. That would hopefully mean no Rob Schneider, no plastic chest plates and no stiff Stallone dialog delivery. It also means that the title character — the tough futuristic crime fighting force on wheels — won’t be removing his mask. Maybe not, at least. I doubt they’d carry through on that. With all of this in mind, I can’t see a reason why Urban wouldn’t work in the role. And I’ll explain why after the jump.

Your daily recommended allowance of random movie stuff, stories that fell through the cracks, and news you can’t use.

Welcome back to Junkfood Cinema; gaining strength as we gain weight. If you have any special dietary needs or restrictions please don’t hesitate to inform the management…so they can forcibly remove you from the room.

This week on a very special episode of Reject Radio that we forgot to post earlier in the week, I name more than 5 great Stephen King film adaptations and make Robert Fure look like the fool he is, we take a look at Sorority Row, and Diane Lane looks great in a cop uniform.

Danny Boyle’s production company is still continuing to develop Judge Dredd. Now, it appears as if an old friend is stopping by to write the damned thing.

And, yeah, we have it too. To show to you.

Remakes and sequels usually come from mild to giant success. Now, filmmakers can officially claim massive failure as a reason to bring back a character.