UPDATE: DREDD Has An Abysmal Opening Day And The Weekend Looks, Well, DREDDful
In some VERY disappointing news for fans, it looks as if DREDD won't even manage to hit double figures this weekend at the North American box office (making hopes of a sequel for the critically acclaimed remake all the less likely).
According to Deadline (and several other trusted box office analysts), DREDD has opened with only $2.2 million. That's HALF of what the original 1995 movie made, despite the fact that this remake is in 3D and has been met with almost unanimous critical acclaim. A 'B' CinemaScore is unlikely to either help or hurt its chances of a better weekend and it's currently expected to not gross any higher than $5.7 million. As the site points out, "there was never much of an effort to widen the film’s appeal or the audience for it," by Lionsgate and that has undoubtedly resulted in these poor numbers. For a sequel to go ahead, Alex Garland recently said that the film would need to earn at least $50 million at the North American box office. Not gonna happen. Read my review by clicking HERE.
UPDATE: The latest figures have DREDD at $6.3 million for the weekend; one of the worst comic book movie/3D openings EVER. With a budget of $45 million, a sequel could happen if it takes off overseas, although it's unlikely that a major studio would consider picking it up after such low numbers in North America. Despite a Rotten Tomatoes consensus which declares, "Fueled by bombastic violence and impressive special effects, rooted in self-satire and deadpan humor, Dredd 3D is a rare example of a remake that actually works," it seems as if the film is destined to be a one-off cult hit.
During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson, a rookie with powerful psychic abilities thanks to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighborhood where fellow Judges rarely dare to venture- a 200 story vertical slum controlled by prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma and her ruthless clan. When they capture one of the clan's inner circle, Ma-Ma overtakes the compound's control center and wages a dirty, vicious war against the Judges that proves she will stop at nothing to protect her empire. With the body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson must confront the odds and engage in the relentless battle for their survival.
STARRING:
Karl Urban as Judge Dredd
Olivia Thirlby as Judge Anderson
Lena Headey as Madeline Madrigal
Domhnall Gleeson as Travis Synders
Langley Kirkwood as Judge Lex
Francis Chouler as Judge Guthrie
Deobia Oparei as Judge T.J. Alvarez
RELEASE DATE: Out Now.
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