South Africa has once again played host to a Hollywood production team. This time parts of the sci-fi-action-adventure Dredd were filmed in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Karl Urban, who is no stranger to blockbuster movies (Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Xena and  Pathfinder) plays the lead. “I had a fantastic time,” he has told East Coast Radio’s Anisa Ussuph. “The South African crew was world-class. The Cape Town studio where we shot, brand-new at the time, was one of the best facilities I have ever worked in. I just had an amazing time here and I am looking forward to finding another project to come back.”

Dredd, which also stars Olivia Thirlby and Lena Headey, opened in SA cinemas on 28 September. Karl says the role was physically demanding and he trained for three months before filming got underway.  He also put in a two week session with “ex-military types” inCape Town, saying it was a grueling process.

Sylvester Stallone played the lead in the original film in 1995 but Karl says that did not put him under pressure when doing this follow-up. “I grew up reading Dredd comics as a teenager. You know, I had a strong awareness and an understanding of the character that pre-dated even Stallone’s involvement in his film. I feel that our film is totally different. It would be very difficult to compare the two.”

Karl’s next big project pans out next year when he will once again strap on his sci-fi adventure boots for Star Trek 2.