The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that some new information about the upcoming Judge Dredd movie has surfaced at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

According to reports, after two years of negotiation with Rebellion Developments, who hold the rights to the iconic character, DNA Films is about to go into production on the picture.

The movie is going to be financed by Reliance Big Pictures and Stuart Ford’s international sales banner IM Global and DNA Films, the U.K. production house headed by Andrew Macdonald. With a budget of $45 Million.

Filming is scheduled to begin later this year, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The movie will be directed by Pete Travis, and based on a script written by Alex Garland. Garland will also produce the movie, alongside Andrew MacDonald and Allson Reich, who he previously worked with on The Beach, 28 Days Later, and Sunshine.

Dreed creator, John Wager, will work as a creative consultant on the film, which will be co-produced by Jason and Chris Kingsley, of Rebellion Developments.

Wagner has described Garland’s script as “a high-octane slay ride through the dark underbelly of a vast futuristic city.”

It addition, Bleeding Cool has come across the following image, which is said to be making the rounds at Cannes:

The artwork is said to be by Tim Bradstreet. It definitely looks like his art, but I find it odd that they would go with Bradstreet for a movie poster, when Jock has been doing loads of concept art for the movie!

While it’s certainly a nice image, it really doesn’t look much like Dredd. Where is his Lawgiver, where is his giant chin?? [Update: According to Jock, this image has nothing to do with the movie!!]

UPDATE

Here’s the official press release:

JUDGE DREDD GOES INTO PRODUCTION FALL 2010
RELIANCE BIG PICTURES TO FINANCE

Reliance BIG Pictures, together with IM Global, the international sales company that Reliance acquired only last week, will finance DNA’s 3D production of JUDGE DREDD, a $45 million film adaptation of the iconic 2000 AD comic-book character created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.

Filming will take place over the fourth quarter of 2010 in Johannesburg.

JUDGE DREDD is being made by the writer/producer partnership behind The Beach, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine, and Never Let Me Go. Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich will produce a script written by Garland.

Pete Travis, director of Omagh, Vantage Point, and Endgame will direct. Wagner will be a creative consultant on the film.

DNA has engaged Michael Murphy (District 9) as South African co-producer.

Jason Kingsley and Chris Kingsley, owners of Rebellion/2000 AD, will co-produce.

Said John Wagner: ‘Alex Garland’s script is faithful to the original concept that made Judge Dredd a favourite bad-ass hero. It’s a high-octane slay ride through the dark underbelly of the vast future city. A fan pleaser. With their track record, I have every faith in Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich.’

Said Alex Garland: ‘I grew up reading Judge Dredd. The incredible writers and artists of 2000 AD were formative influences on me. Andrew, Allon and I have developed this adaptation of Judge Dredd with an emphasis on adrenaline and realism, but with all the scale and spectacle of Mega-City One. We think Pete’s propulsive, edgy style is a perfect match for the project.’

The deal was negotiated on behalf of Reliance by IM Global CEO Stuart Ford assisted by attorneys Strook and Strook with DNA principals Macdonald and Reich, DNA head of business affairs Jo Smith, and Miles Ketley of Wiggin & Co. Ford’s IM Global will handle international sales on the project.

About Reliance Big Entertainment:
Reliance BIG Entertainment Ltd. (RBEL) is the flagship media and entertainment arm of India’s Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, with a significant presence in film entertainment (film production, distribution, and exhibition), broadcasting and new media ventures.

RBEL’s motion picture brand, Reliance BIG Pictures (www.reliancebigpictures.com) has built an impressive film production slate in Hindi, English & other Indian languages, which it markets and distributes worldwide. Following Reliance BIG Pictures’ association with IM Global, the company now benefits from an international sales team with an excellent reputation and global presence dedicated to selling its Bollywood and regional language slate.

In Hollywood, Reliance BIG Pictures has partnered with Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider on the formation of DreamWorks Studios and has development deals with Nicolas Cage’s Saturn Films, Jim Carrey’s JC 23 Entertainment, George Clooney’s Smokehouse Productions, Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures, Tom Hanks’ Playtone Productions, Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, Jay Roach’s Everyman Pictures, Brett Ratner’s Rat Entertainment, Julia Roberts’ Red Om Films and Brian Gazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment.

RBEL’s group company, Reliance MediaWorks Limited (www.reliancemediaworks.com), is India’s fastest growing film and entertainment services company and a member of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. It operates BIG Cinemas, India’s largest cinema chain with over 525 screens spread across India, US, Malaysia, Nepal and Netherlands. Reliance MediaWorks has a dominant and comprehensive presence in Film Services: Motion Picture Processing and DI; Visual Effects; Film Restoration and Image Enhancement; Animation; 2D to 3D Conversion; Digital Mastering: Studios and Equipment rentals with presence across at US, UK, Japan and India. Reliance MediaWorks’ television venture, BIG Synergy, is among the top players in the television programming industry.

The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (www.relianceada.com) is amongst India’s top three business houses and has interests in telecommunications, energy, financial services, infrastructure and media and entertainment.

About IM Global:
IM Global was founded in March 2007 by former Miramax International head Stuart Ford. The company quickly established itself as one of the leading sales agents in the international community handling a wide variety of mainstream commercial, arthouse and genre fare.

The company is one of the most prolific players in the international arena, and its slate currently has in post production Oren Peli’s Area 51, Will Ferrell starrer Everything Must Go, The Astral from SAW director James Wan, The Company Men with Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones, and John Cusack thriller The Factory. In active pre-production are Halle Berry starrer Dark Tide, Kevin Costner starring and directing vehicle A Little War Of Our Own, Protection starring Dwayne Johnson, and Madonna’s directorial debut W.E. In May of 2010 it was announced that Reliance Big Pictures had acquired a majority interest in the company.

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