The reboot of the superhero comedy horror film The Toxic Avenger will now officially hit cinemas this year, despite previous fears that it was “unreleasable”.
The reboot of the 1984 cult film of the same name features Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage in the lead role of Winston, a janitor with a terminal illness who falls into a tank of toxic waste and is severely deformed as a result. Instead of accepting his fate, Winston decides to become a superhero and take vengeance on those who have wronged him.
The film, which also stars Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay and Julia Davis had screened at several film festivals in 2023 to favourable reviews but had struggled to secure a distributor. Reports had suggested that the film was “not safe enough to market”.
Director Macon Blair, who has previously starred in Blue Ruin and Oppenheimer, has now announced that the film will finally be available in theatres, thanks to Cineverse, who have previously released the Terrifier films.
Unmarketable? Unreleasable? Maybe even... Toxic? We heard your pleas so get ready to find out what hurts because we're bringing THE TOXIC AVENGER to theaters! pic.twitter.com/YYxyswB5mx
— Cineverse 🎞️ (@Cineverse_ent) January 21, 2025
In a statement, Blair said “I’m beyond grateful to the team behind The Toxic Avenger who were so supportive and steady-handed as we searched for the perfect distribution partner for our film.
“It’s so cool that folks will have the chance to see this in theatres, it’s a fun rowdy movie you wanna see with a crowd. Mutant hero smashes bad guys with a mop: perfect entertainment for the whole family!
“Our goal was always to preserve the heart and spirit of the original Toxie (which was seared into my brain at a very young age) and try to make something that Troma fans would dig and at the same time do something with the character that feels fresh. Lloyd and Michael at Troma have been a blast to work with, absolutely everyone at Legendary are stars and I can’t wait to start working with the champs at Cineverse to bring this version of Toxie to fans new and old.”
Cineverse chairman and CEO Chris McGurk added: “The Toxic Avenger isn’t just a great film; it’s an important one. Peter Dinklage’s transformative performance and Macon Blair’s fearless direction deliver a story that speaks to the anxieties of our time with outrageous humour and unflinching creativity. This is the kind of movie that major studios are averse to release because it dares to push boundaries, but Cineverse is rooted in championing bold, uncompromising storytelling. We believe audiences are ready – and eager – for films like this to take centre stage.”
The first Toxic Avenger cost just $500,000 (£406,300) to make but quickly became a success as a midnight movie in New York. Upon its opening weekend in 1986, it grossed more than $140,000 (£113,764) at the box office.
The film was created by Lloyd Kaufman, who is also the co-founder of Troma Entertainment, along with Michael Herz, a distributor that specialises in low-budget B-movies. Numerous sequels followed the original (including an animated series and a musical), the last of which was released in 2000.
In response to learning that the reboot is getting a release, Kaufman said: “Michael Herz, Toxie and I have mopped our tears away! Macon Blair’s Fantoxic reimagining of Toxie’s life is even better than Troma’s! The Troma Fans will be ecstatic!”
