Well, it’s about damn time! “The Toxic Avenger” is one of the most beloved and successful films in the Troma Entertainment canon. The darkly humorous, over the top violent, superhero, vigilante b-movie was responsible for a number of sequels and an early 90s cartoon series. We can’t be the only ones who still remember “Toxic Crusaders,” right? Well, as the franchise lay dormant for years. But then a reboot starring Peter Dinklage in the titular role was released in 2023.
There was hype, and then it seemingly disappeared. Now, like Toxie himself, it’s rising back up!
“The Toxic Avenger” originally premiered at Fantastic Fest 2023. It was enthusiastically well-received, as the film currently has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 92%. Written and directed by Macon Blair, the film stars Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon alongside Dinklage. The latter plays the lead role of janitor Winston Gooze. After some exposure to toxic waste, Gooze becomes the Toxic Avenger, aka Toxie. Armed with superpowers and a mop, he fights crime and injustice. The violence is not subtle. Then again, the original film’s creator Uncle Lloyd Kaufman is not known for being a subtle guy.
So, after its premiere at Fantastic Fest, what happened? Well, it’s possible that the violence and satirical nature didn’t make it palatable for a distributor. The film has languished on the shelf despite having some big names attached to it. That is until recently when Cineverse stepped up to the plate.
Through a deal with the film’s production company Legendary Entertainment, Cineverse has the rights for theatrical, home video, and streaming of the film.
We don’t have a release date yet, but we’ll let you know when we find out.
