Writer and director Macon Blair confirmed on Twitter his remake of The Toxic Avenger has wrapped filming. So why should we be excited about it? Well, for starters, the remake will star Peter Dinklage as the titular hero and has recently cast Kevin Bacon as a mysterious villain. Also, the original The Toxic Avenger creators Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz are involved in the project as producers.
While we don’t know much about the remake, the original The Toxic Avenger is a low-budget cult classic known for its ultraviolent and glorious B-movie aesthetic. The original movie spawned three sequels, a stage musical, a videogame, and a children’s cartoon series with an accompanying action figure line.
The film followed an unlikely janitor who decides to fight the good fight even without superpowers after having his body entirely disfigured by toxic waste.
The original Toxic Avenger was a hero of the people, fighting corrupted politicians, pimps of underaged girls, bullies, and, wait for it, the Devil himself. So, we should all be excited about the remake, especially given the excellent work Blair did with Green Room and I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. Also, The Toxic Avenger became a phenomenon long before superheroes were the bread and butter of Hollywood, so it will be interesting to know how the trash hero will fit in the new pop culture landscape.
The Toxic Avenger remake also stars Elijah Wood (Maniac), Julia Davis (Sally4Ever), Taylour Paige (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), and Jacob Tremblay. There’s no release date for the remake, but it shouldn’t take long for us to learn more about the project now that filming is wrapped. Check Blair’s original tweet below.