Judge Dredd Remake Director Booted, Is No Longer The Law

The line "I AM the law!" might yet still be spoken in Lionsgate's 2012 Dredd, the Karl Urban-starring remake of the gloriously cheesy Sylvester Stallone vehicle about a decorated officer wrongfully accused in a dystopian future, but it looks like director Pete Travis won't be uttering any iteration of that forceful declaration of authority. According to the L.A. Times, Travis has been booted from the remake, which is currently in post-production, while screenwriter Alex Garland steps in to make such significant changes that he might even seek a co-director credit.

According to the report, Travis (Vantage Point) and the producers of the film clashed over "creative disagreements" and now Garland (whose scripting credits include The Beach, 28 Days Later..., Sunshine, and Never Let Me Go) is editing Travis's footage, with the possibility that more reshoots may occur.

Meanwhile, the saddest line of all: "A separate person involved in the film maintained that although Travis is no longer involved in postproduction, he is keeping up with progress via the Internet and has not been pushed aside."

"Keeping up... via the internet?" What, by reading blog reports? Doesn't seem terribly not-pushed-aside from the sound of it.

Here's a hypothetical idea of how is all shook down, as re-imagined from a scene from the original film using the L.A. Times' example of Prince of Persia's unseated director Mike Newell.

Mike Newell: What are you doing here?

Pete Travis: I was convicted of a [creative disagreement]. Wrongly convicted.

Newell: Really? That's kinda weird! What are the odds? Two wrongly convicted guys sitting right next to each other?

Travis: You received the sentence the law required.

Newell: [Terrible reviews and an opening weekend behind Sex and the City 2], just for saving my own ass? That was a mistake!

Travis: The law doesn't... make mistakes.

We'll see about that when Dredd hits theaters next September.

• Director drama heats up on 'Dredd' [LA Times]