First picture of Dredd antagonist Ma-Ma

Gosh, it’s so easy to forget about the poor old Judge, isn’t it? Sulking silently from behind that helmet of his, lacking both the quips of Tony Stark and the sheer, unadulterated cool of the caped crusander – don’t worry Dreddy, we’ve always been right there with you in spirit. Anyway, now that MARVEL AMAZING THE AVENGERS OMG FOREVER INMYFACE madness has started to die down, DNA Films obviously feel the time is right to start their promotional campaign. And we will absolutely, definitely get all excited about it, just as soon as Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man are out of the way. Can’t say fairer than that.

Thankfully having absolutely nothing to do with the disastrous Sly Stallone incarnation back in 1995, Dredd is a British flick that, by all accounts, will try its dardnest to do the original 2000 AD comic book series justice. Directed by Endgame‘s Pete Travis and written by the scribe of 28 Days Later and Sunshine Alex Garland, Dredd will follow our favourite surly police officer (Karl Urban) as he prowls the streets of Mega-City One dishing out deadly justice as he sees fit. This incarnation will see him face Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) – a prostitute turned gang lord who is gradually poisoning the city with a mind-altering narcotic known as Slo-Mo. We all caught up? Good stuff.

Here’s the lady herself then:

Them’s some scars, is what they are. Headey recently had this to say about the role:

“She’s a prostitute who then kills her pimp and takes over his drug-running business… I think of her like an old great white shark who is just waiting for someone bigger and stronger to show up and kill her. She’s ready for it. In fact, she can’t wait for it to happen. And yet no one can get the job done. She’s an addict, so she’s dead in that way, but that last knock just hasn’t come. This big, fat, scarred shark moving through the sea and everyone flees and she’s like, ‘Will someone just have the balls to do it? Please?”

We’re actually quietly excited about Dredd – the team is solid, the cast is strong and they’re definitely not going to do anything silly like having the Judge wander around without his helmet on for half the bloody film. We’ve got till September to learn a bit more – what do you reckon?

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