The trailer for the new Judge Dredd movie, Dredd, has been unleashed upon the unsuspecting world.

Unlike the previous Judge Dredd movie, Karl Urban has confirmed that the helmet will never come off to keep true to the comic book character.

So that's one up already for hardcore fans over the 1995 Sylvester Stallone movie that received mix reviews, at best.

Announced in 2008, the film has had a long gestation, and it wasn't until Karl Urban, who you won't recognise in the role, signed on that it had the impetus to get made.

English director Pete Travis is new to Sci Fi, having made a name for himself with the heart-wrenching Omagh (2004) and the multiple viewpoint thriller, Vantage Point (2008).

If you're new to Judge Dredd, like Pete, then you may not know that he is the longest running strip in the British Sci Fi Anthology magazine, 2000AD, beginning in 1977. In the gigantic futuristic city of Mega-City One, Judges are empowered to arrest, sentence and execute criminals on the spot - think an ultraviolet, futuristic Dirty Harry, and you're getting close.

Here's some photos from the upcoming film that give you a feel for what you're in for - and I have to warn you, the film is going to be violent and gory, in keeping with the original comics, and not in keeping with the Sylvester Stallone version.

The Dredd trailer reveals some interesting plot points, and if you're a fan of the action thriller, The Raid, you may be surprised to see some strong similarities. The trailer opens with a futuristic skyline and street and a caption that reads: 'In the future, one city is addicted, to a new kind of substance. One woman controls it. But judgement is coming.'
That woman is Madeline Madrigal, aka Ma-Ma, who's played by Game of Thrones star Lena Headey.

With scars on her face, the mysterious drug king-pin is seen having captured three struggling male prisoners, before she says: 'If we play this right, we could take the whole city.'

Hilarity ensues...


Here's the trailer:



The film is currently scheduled to be released in Australia on October 25.