The Toxic Avenger is a 2023 American sci-fi comedy action horror film and a reboot of Troma’s franchise of the same name.
Written and directed by Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore) based on the character created by Lloyd Kaufman and Joe Ritter.
The Troma Entertainment-Legendary Entertainment production stars Peter Dinklage as the new Toxie plus Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon.
Blurb:
“While the original film (which premiered in 1984 – almost 40 years ago!) followed the fate of Melvin Ferd Junko III (Mitch Cohen), who goes from zero to toxic hero in a case of bullying gone awry, Macon Blair’s contemporary take follows a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength all his own.
Peter Dinklage stars as downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze who, after falling into a vat of toxic waste, becomes none other than The Toxic Avenger. This timely reimagining is up to its eyeballs in environmental themes as Winston goes up against the evil forces of greed and corruption to save his son, his friends, and his community.
Even as this story exists on its own terms, the spirit undoubtedly remains connected to the original. Troma fans old and new will be pleased to know that the film has been rated “R” for violence and gore – as per Troma tradition.”
Release:
The Toxic Avenger premiered as the opening film of Fantastic Fest on September 21, 2023, with a wider theatrical release planned by Cineverse and Iconic Events Releasing in the United States for August 29, 2025. Prior to this release it has been reported that the film’s strong splattery content meant that potential distributors were unsure of how to market it to a wider audience.
Critical reception:
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 25 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website’s consensus reads: “Like the original, The Toxic Avenger isn’t for everyone – but viewers seeking an extremely gory, extremely silly good time won’t be disappointed.”
Red band teaser trailer:
Teaser trailer 2:
Trailer:
