Sylvester Stallone - Sylvester Stallone flop paved way for Dredd

Sylvester Stallone flop paved way for Dredd

Sylvester Stallone's flop 'Judge Dredd' movie made it possible for 'Dredd' to be made.

The 'Expendables' actor played the comic book character in a widely-panned 1995 film and because it was so heavily criticised, studio chiefs and filmmakers avoided the license to the franchise, until the team behind the latest reboot took it on.

Screenwriter and producer Alex Garland told Movies.com: ''[That] made it possible for us to get the license, because if it had been a smash hit, we couldn't have made our film.

''We were in post-production on 'Sunshine' and in pre-production on '28 Weeks Later,' and [producer] Andrew [Macdonald] said, 'I think we can get the rights to 'Dredd,' because nobody wants them and nobody realises how good a license it is. Do you want to do it?' And I immediately said, 'Yes.' ''

Despite Alex's comments, 'Dredd' grossed just $6 million this weekend on a $50 million budget, while 'Judge Dredd' had a budget of $90 million and still made a profit, taking in $113 million globally.