Cineverse is bringing director Macon Blair’s The Toxic Avenger remake in from the smog. An unrated theatrical release later this year is planned after acquiring all North American theatrical, home entertainment, and streaming rights through a deal with Legendary Entertainment.
This updated version of the acidic anti-hero is directed by Macon Blair and stars modern pop culture icons Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon, and Elijah Wood. The film itself is a daring, dark comedic reimagining of the 80s cult-classic franchise:
“In this bold new chapter of the classic midnight movie franchise created by Lloyd Kaufman and Troma Entertainment; a shocking accident transforms downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze (Dinklage) into a mutant vigilante. Armed with his signature mop, the unlikely hero battles freaks, gangsters and corrupt CEOs while trying to save his relationship with his son.”
As originally reported in Variety, The Toxic Avenger opened to wide acclaim at Fantastic Fest. Described as riotous, satirical, inventive, and gory with a heart, the film holds a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
“The Toxic Avenger isn’t just a great film, it’s an important one. Peter Dinklage’s transformative performance and Macon Blair’s fearless direction deliver a story that speaks to the anxieties of our time with outrageous humor and unflinching creativity. This is the kind of movie that major studios are averse to release because it dares to push boundaries, but Cineverse is rooted in championing bold, uncompromising storytelling. We believe audiences are ready – and eager – for films like this to take center stage”
-Chris McGurk, Cineverse Chairman and CEO
Global streamer and distributor Cineverse has a proven track record with unrated films, most notably October’s record-breaking box-office phenomenon Terrifier 3. This further affirms their ability to connect with genre audiences through bold and authentic stories.
Blair wrote the screenplay based on Lloyd Kaufman’s cult classic The Toxic Avenger (1984). Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, and OG Troma pioneers Lloyd Kaufman, and Michael Herz produced the film alongside executive producers Blair, Andrew Pfeffer, Jay Ashenfelter. Mark Bennett and Julie Harkin handled casting.
Other collaborators include Emmy Award-winning director of photography Dana Gonzalez, production designer Alexander Cameron. Editors Brett W. Bachman and James Thomas, visual effects supervisor Chris Ritvo, and costume designer Vanessa Porter round out the production team with Will Blair and Brooke Blair composing the original music.
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