Grant Kempster checks out the fantastic
world of entertainment

Dredd: Full Ahead

That's right, after years in obscure exile, Judge Dredd is finally due to return to our screens once again in not one but two planned sequels. It seems almost too strange to be true, but even after the awful 1995 interpretation – visuals aside – brought to us by ambitious director Danny Cannon, Shoreline Entertainment has agreed to stump up for two more movies, presumably on the understanding that Sylvester Stallone isn't to be found anywhere within a 10 mile radius of the shoot.

"We are reinventing the franchise by taking it back to the edge and style of the original comic book," Shoreline execs told Variety, "This is a great time for movies about superheroes, and there are thousands of Judge Dredd stories, so there is endless material available to work with. It will also be easier to brand the movies by presenting them back-to-back."

The first feature, Judge Dredd: Dredd Reckoning, will feature our anti-hero struggling with a corrupt legal system, while the second – Judge Dredd: Possession – will finally bring the much-loved villain Judge Death to the screen after he possesses one of Dredd's best friends.

While it all sounds very positive, one wouldn't be crazy to expect these titles to skip the big screen and go straight to rental, which in this case mightn't be a bad thing at all, as it could help avoid a Dredd-ful repeat performance.

It's Time to Return

Irwin Allen's classic '60s series The Time Tunnel is set to make an up-to-date comeback, on either the ABC or Fox networks. At present a bidding war is ensuing between the two programming giants, with both willing to hurl substantial amounts of cash and a full season at the potential series. The original show centered on two scientists who accidentally get lost in Time. While their buddies back home can observe their exploits and transport them to other eras, they somehow can't quite seem to bring them home.

There's no doubt that an updated feel will alter this series, although at present there are no details about plot development or whether this series is a remake or simply a continuation of the show. What we do know is that writer Rand Ravich is behind the pilot script, with Malcolm in the Middle director
Tom Holland behind the lens and Irwin's widow Sheila Allen acting as the show's executive producer.

It's been a while since a lost Time-traveler has been on our screens, so is the time right to bring back the concept? Only time will tell!

Round-Up

• Tom Cruise recently confirmed that he'd like to bring Ethan Hunt to the big screen again in another high-octane cinematic Mission: Impossible adventure.
• A third Mortal Kombat movie is in the works, with Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan penning the script.
• The Rock may be appearing in King Conan: Crown of Iron, the long awaited third installment of the barbarian anthology, but rather than taking over from Arnie, he could be playing his son.
• Of all the Batman movie projects on the slate, the one least likely is Batman Beyond, as the folks at Warner have deemed the script way too expensive.
• The third chapter of the Matrix trilogy finally has a title, The Matrix Revolutions.
• And finally, the funniest rumor this month is that none other than Britney (`get that snake away from me') Spears has been mentioned in the same breath as The Lost Boys sequel, The Lost Girls.

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