Alex Garland Making Directorial Debut With EX MACHINA

Author and screenwriter Alex Garland will be making the jump to feature director according to THR. He'll be making a sci-fi thriller entitled Ex Machina, which likely has zero connection with the Brian K. Vaughn comic or Appleseed. Garland is best known for writing films for Danny Boyle such as The Beach (his original novel was adapted), Sunshine and 28 Days Later. He's also written the original film that centers on a billionaire programmer who handpicks a young employee to spend a week at his remote estate and participate in a test involving his latest invention -- an artificially intelligent female robot. The film is getting a small budget of $15m and will shoot this Summer or Fall.

There had been rumblings during the production of Dredd that Garland who wrote and produced the film had to come in and did some re-shoots. Rumors also pointed to him taking over in the editing room as well. It's possible that Pete Travis was actually including Alex into the process of the film to give him tools to go off to direct Ex Machina.

Pete Travis Talks DREDD Sequel And Alex Garland Has Ideas For A Trilogy

One of the most underrated films of 2012 will likely go down as being Dredd, among a few others. The hard boiled R-rated comic book film turned out to be one of the best genre films of the year. It ended up earning a lot of critical praise and in my opinion is this generation's Robocop. Dredd turned out more tense and unique action scenes than the over-hyped Expendables 2 or the disappointing Total Recall remake. Sadly, it did very poorly at the box office despite it's meager $50 million budget. A sequel has been in question because of the numbers but if BluRay/DVD/VOD sales a good enough it's possible. I feel like Dredd could find new life like most cult-films do with home viewing.

Director Pete Travis is currently promoting the BluRay release on January 8th and talked to MovieWeb about the future of Dredd. He likely won't be back as a director but is hopeful that a sequel could happen. Peter also mentions that writer/producer Alex Garland has outlined a trilogy. Details aren't dropped but it sounds like Garland and Urban could give us more exciting installments sometime in the futre.

"I don't think so. I really hope there is a second one. I just feel very lucky to have been involved in the first one. It has been a great experience for me. I read Alex Garland's script two years ago, and I feel in love with it then. I have enjoyed the whole process of working on that with him, and bringing it to the screen. It was extraordinary. I hope they get the chance to make another one. I think Dredd is an extraordinary character. I think Karl Urban captured him so perfectly. I think there is a real beautiful future there." 

"I think Alex Garland has a trilogy in his mind. I think there is a whole exciting journey in front of Dredd if Alex and Karl Urban get to take him on that journey. The future is really exciting for him. Especially in terms of going with some of the other characters from the comic book. Finding out more about where Dredd comes from. I also think its exciting, the possibilities. The first film does go all out as a visual feast. Whoever gets a chance to do the others willl take that, and make it even more exciting. I can't wait to see it. I don't really know how the sequel thing works, really. I hope they get another chance to make a second film. I think Karl Urban...He is Dredd. It would be really exciting for them to make another, and go further with that character. I sincerely hope so..."

Judge Dredd (2011)

Alex Garland is writing a screenplay for the reboot based on the notorious ultra-violent comic book series from 2000AD. Garland is best known for his collaborations with Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) on The Beach, Sunshine and 28 Days Later. Danny Boyle's DNA Films will produce the project but he has yet stated if he will direct. While the character seems a perfect fit for a Garland script. The original film starring Sly Stallone never met expectations and ended up a buddy action comedy. This time around it seems Garland will take a serious approach to the story.




Here are a few pieces of concept artwork.

Casting Thought



Gerard Butler (300, Gamer) seems to me the perfect choice for the role of Dredd.