This summer, prepare yourself for action, black comedy, and plenty of gore. The long-awaited splatter film, The Toxic Avenger makes its cinematic debut.
Long-awaited because this movie has been in the can for a while. In fact, The Toxic Avenger initially played at Fantastic Fest back in September 2023, before screening at Beyond Fest, and then Sitges Film Festival in October of the same year, so it has been eagerly awaiting its worldwide release for a good couple of years now.
The reason for the delay? Largely because The Toxic Avenger was struggling to find a distributor.
Heck, when your movie is a reboot of 1984’s The Toxic Avenger, and your lead character is a somewhat unconventional superhero who doesn’t have the looks of Captain America (and that’s putting it mildly), not everyone is lining up to take on your film. Oh, and then there’s the level of violence and gore attached to the picture, which means it’s not a family-friendly film, likely to sit well amongst the likes of Superman or Smurfs.
However, all that is in the past now, and Cineverse and Iconic Events Releasing are distributing The Toxic Avenger (hurrah), and it’ll be arriving in cinemas this August. So, if you’ve been waiting patiently, while checking off the days on your calendar, you don’t have too many days left to check off.
Written and directed by Macon Blair, and based on the aforementioned 1984 film, The Toxic Avenger (and it’s sequels) by Lloyd Kaufman, The Toxic Avenger follows the story of a mutated former janitor who becomes a force for good. And if the tagline on the poster is anything to go by, he’s “The hero we need now.”
Describing the new movie, the film’s co-producers, Troma said: “When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger.
“Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community.
“In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.”
Taking on the title role is former Game of Thrones actor, Peter Dinklage. Dinklage has appeared in a string of hit movies, ranging from X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), to Cyrano (2021), and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), so playing the part of The Toxic Avenger should be a walk in the park.
And for those keeping note, Dinklage will be playing the role of Winston Gooze, and will provide the voice of Toxie. Meanwhile, fellow actor Luisa Guerreiro is the mop-wielding suit performer.
Other actors in the cast include Luca‘s Jacob Tremblay; Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F star Taylour Paige; and he’s-been-in-everything, Kevin Bacon. Plus Elijah Wood, Sarah Niles, Julia Davis, Julian Kostov, David Yow, Rebecca O’Mara, Jonny Coyne, and Jane Levy.
As for the film itself, well, as The Toxic Avenger previously played to audiences back in 2023, the initial buzz has been encouraging. Early reports suggest if you’re a fan of the original Toxic Avenger series, or you simply like off-the-wall films, you may find this one suits you well.
I guess we will find out in due course. The wait for Toxie’s arrival is almost over.
__
__
Thank you for taking the time to read this post about The Toxic Avenger on It’s A Stampede! – I hope it has proved useful. For more useful posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment