This month’s The Toxic Avenger is a highly anticipated revival that fans have eagerly awaited for years. Originating from the creative minds at Legendary Pictures, the project began taking shape in 2018, with filming concluding in 2021 and its premiere taking place at Fantastic Fest in 2023. Despite initial challenges in securing distribution, the moment is finally here where we will witness Peter Dinklage step into the iconic role, much to the excitement of Toxic Avenger creator Lloyd Kaufman, who is thrilled to see audience reactions.
In a conversation with ComicBook.com, Lloyd Kaufman acknowledged that while some die-hard fans of Troma may have reservations about a reboot of The Toxic Avenger, the film has been performing exceptionally well in test screenings. He remarked, “It’s a risk, because fanboys [say], ‘Oh, remakes are no good.’ I got a lot of contact from Troma fans, ‘Why are you remaking it?’ But this is better than the original. The audiences that I’ve sat with, including at festivals but also with focus groups, always in the 90s. Whether the focus groups were normal people or Troma fans, they both were up in the 90s in terms of being appreciated.” This indicates a promising reception for the updated take on this beloved cult classic.
Interestingly, the release of this year’s The Toxic Avenger may not have been possible if Lloyd Kaufman had moved forward with his own vision for a fifth installment. He explained, “We didn’t know what to do with Toxie. We had all these ideas. Do we kill him? Because we were going to do a fifth. We made four Toxic Avenger movies, Citizen Toxie is the fourth one. But we wrote Mr. Toxie Goes to Washington…Then we were thinking, ‘We’ll kill Toxie,’ but then where do you go from there? And then we thought, ‘Maybe a big fat Toxy, it’ll be interesting.’ And then we thought about a trans Toxie, Toxette kind of thing. But luckily, the wonderful people at Legendary did a $50 million version and hired the right director and the right actors. It’s perfect. I mean, it couldn’t be more different and great…” While fans may never see the original vision for a fifth Toxic Avenger film directed by Lloyd Kaufman, the character will continue to thrive in a graphic novel accompanying the release of this new movie.
As it currently stands, The Toxic Avenger—with Lloyd Kaufman involved as a producer—promises to be one of the most entertaining horror movies of the year. Our very own Michael Conway awarded the film an impressive 8/10, stating that it offers a wealth of enjoyment for Troma fans and describes it as “the return of a cult icon in the most gloriously disgusting way possible.” Therefore, it’s essential to spread the word and encourage all your friends who appreciate edgy cinema to catch this film in theaters.
