Karl Urban closes deal to star in FOX robot cop pilot

From one role as a futuristic officer of the law to another, Dredd 3D star Karl Urban has signed to star in the untitled FOX cop drama pilot from writer J.H. Wyman and producer J.J. Abrams.

Set in the near future, the action-packed buddy cop show will explore a world where members of the Los Angeles Police Department are paired with highly evolved human-like androids.

In his first regular series role, Urban will play the human half of the central pairing, respected police officer John Kennex. Following a tragic mission that left him critically injured, John is crippled by guilt and has shut down emotionally.

In addition to starring as the titular character in last year's Dredd, Urban previously worked with Abrams on the rebooted Star Trek film franchise in the role of medical officer Leonard "Bones" McCoy. A decade ago, he rose to fame as Rohan rider Eomer in the Lord of the Rings films The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Before that, Urban had a recurring role on the syndicated TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, playing Julius Caesar as well as Cupid.

Last month, Michael Ealy (Common Law) was tapped to play Kennex's android partner Dorian, while Mackenzie Crook (BBC's The Office) and Michael Irby (The Unit) also joined the cast recently.

The casting of Karl Urban is a masterstroke and caught my attention. While the concept of the untitled Wyman/Abrams project definitely has potential, I can't help but wish this show was based on the Judge Dredd comic series instead.