Judge Dredd is the law and proved it with the film ‘Dredd 3D’ topping the box office in the UK last weekend. According to THR, the Peter Travis reboot film took the #1 spot beating ‘Anna Karenina’, ‘Lawless’, and ‘That’s My Boy’.

This marks the first time an 18 certificate (which is equivalent to an ‘R’ rating across the pond) has taken the top box office spot in British theaters since 2010, the year ‘Saw 3D’ was released. While no exact figures have been released, estimates have the film taking in more than £1 million ($1.65 million) on its opening weekend ahead of the Kira Knightley and Jude Law film ‘Anna Karenina’ which brought in £980,000 ($1.60 million).

Knocked out of the #1 spot was ‘Total Recall’ which slipped three places and came in 4th with a second weekend gross of £675 thousand.
This is good news for Lionsgate as there has been talk of making this the first of a trilogy of ‘Dredd’ films. While the news out of the UK is favorable, the studio will also be keeping an eye on the US box office receipts come September 21 when the film is released nationwide.

Synopsis:

The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One- a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called “Judges” who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge – a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of “Slo-Mo” experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed.

During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), 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 p’Dredrostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) 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.

The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and director Pete Travis bring DREDD to life as a futuristic neo-noir action film. Filmed in 3D with stunning slow motion photography sequences, the film returns the celebrated character to the dark, visceral incarnation from John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra’s revered comic strip.

‘Dredd 3D’ Red Band Trailer:

‘Dredd’, directed by Pete Travis, stars Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, and Lena Headey and opens on September 21, 2012.