Here’s some more ‘Dredd’ casting suggestions:

Greetings, Citizens. Cast your minds back a couple of months, and you may remember we published an article giving some suggestions about casting choices for future Judge Dredd films/TV projects.

You can revisit the article using this link.

At the time we asked you for feedback or your contributions, and having just been brave enough to re-connect our inbox back up to the Internet, we thought we’d publish another little article featuring your best suggestions.

So here they are:

7. Judge Death – Doug Jones

We start off with a correction to our previous article. In the original list, we put forward an argument for Andy Serkis, the undisputed King of Motion-Capture himself, as the best person to bring the villainous leader of the Dark Judges to life (so to speak).

And… you guys totally shot us down in flames. Your feedback was that we were idiots, and only Doug Jones would be fit to pass sentence on the living.

We’ve searched long and hard within what’s left of our souls, and find ourselves agreeing wholeheartedly. Jones has already made a name for himself in the business by nailing key mo-cap roles in Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy and Falling Skies. He’s also got the gaunt jawline and haunted complexion that make Serkis look like somebody’s cuddly uncle by comparison. Doug for Death, all the way…

6. Fargo – Ciaran Hinds

In order to find someone to go back to where it all began and portray the founding father of the Judicial system you need an a actor with pedigree. An actor with genuine gravitas. An actor with…. A really big chin.

Now, Bruce Campbell and Ron Perlman aside, the only man with the acting chops (pardon the pun) required to tackle the role is ‘Game Of Thrones’s’ very own Mance Ryder, Ciaran Hinds. He’s been in the game for the last 35 years, and has lent his jutting jawline and grumpy intonations to a number of hit franchises, so here’s hoping he can come across and join the Dredd Universe.

5. Galen DeMarco – Rose Leslie

 

And now we find ourselves moving from one dead Wildling to another. An actress who’s no stranger to seducing her leading man, Leslie’s post-GoT work has seen her crop up opposite Vin Diesel in ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ (but don’t hold that against her), alongside Downton Abbey and the upcoming final series of Luther.

As well as being a pretty damn good likeness for this former Judge turned Private Investigator, Leslie easily has the ability to engage with her audience, and make them see things from her character’s perspective. She’d be a great asset to any future Mega-City production.

4. Missionary Man – Sam Elliott

Elliot has the cracked and weathered features of a man born to play a cowboy, and with his long grey locks, and permanently unshaven complexion, he’s a dead ringer for former Judge Preacher Cain.

Elliot’s a bit of a sucker for a comic book character, having cropped up in previous versions of Hulk and Ghost Rider, and he always brings with him an edge of some kind, something hidden that it’s left for the audience to interpret why he makes the choices he does.

3. PJ Maybe  – Matt Smith

Now, I appreciate that when you’re casting around for someone in order to play a character whose spent half of his comic-book career surgically altering his facial features to evade detection and capture, it might seem a touch pointless trying to cast one actor to play them, but it’s all about where you start from.

In order to play the delightfully psychotic serial-killer son of a wealthy family is only half the battle, building in a series of mannerisms and noticeable personality traits/quirks that can be mimicked by other actors is the key. There’s an almost rubber-faced quality to the way Matt Smith tackled the performances as his most notable character, and his post-Whovian work has seen him persist in challenging and off-the-wall roles. I think he’d be a delight as the wacky and unstoppable Maybe.

2. Walter the Wobot – Shalto Copley

Copley is a performer who is unafraid to lay his flaws and weaknesses open to criticism in his work, but his willingness to push/develop himself and tackle new projects is admirable.

His recent outing as the eponymous ‘Chappie’ demonstrates that there’s more to him than merely his previous goofy live-action outings. He bought genuine humour and emotional upheaval to the role, and elevated the conflicted robot up to the same level as Kevin Spacey’s turn as GERTY in ‘Moon’. Unless you guys can tell me otherwise, he’s a damn good fit for Dredd’s comedy manservant.

1. Devlin Waugh – Tom Hardy

Other than Christian Bale, few actors have put their body through more punishment and development for a role than Hardy is prepared to. His bulking up for roles in ‘Bronson’ and ‘Dark Knight Rises’ show that he is physically able to meet the standard required to being the Vatican’s chief investigator to life.

It’s not just the physicality though, as any 2000AD fan will know. The challenge of playing a homosexual, weight-lifting, flower arranging priest is not one to be taken lightly. And Hardy is more than capable. He’s already done ‘controlled camp’, in Rocknrolla. He can make a film about driving down a motorway and talking to people on the phone about concrete interesting. He’s the man for the job. No if’s, but’s or (PJ)maybe’s….

So what do you think, Dredd-Heads? Are these picks good or grud? And what suggestions have you got to keep the list going?