Movies
Sneak Peek: Elijah Wood, Kevin Bacon, and Peter Dinklage in Troma’s ‘The Toxic Avenger’ Remake
Legendary Entertainment is breathing new life into “The Toxic Avenger,” and Entertainment Weekly is giving fans an exclusive sneak peek with a gallery of first-look images.
Macon Blair, known for his work on films like “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” and “Green Room,” directed the upcoming remake of the Troma classic, and it boasts an unexpected ensemble cast.
The film, described as a “brand new reimagining of Lloyd Kaufman’s classic The Toxic Avenger,” follows the story of Winston Gooze, portrayed by “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage!
In addition to Peter Dinklage, the film features Elijah Wood, Julia Davis, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, and Jacob Tremblay. You can get a glimpse of their characters in the images below.
Notably, Elijah Wood takes on the role of a villain named Fritz Garbinger, and his character’s flamboyant appearance draws inspiration from Danny DeVito’s Penguin in “Batman Returns.”
Macon Blair revealed to EW that Elijah Wood’s Fritz Garbinger is “a sort of Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the Danny DeVito Penguin mixed together.”
Troma provides a brief overview, stating, “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.”
The official synopsis also mentions, “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.”
Macon Blair’s “The Toxic Avenger” has indeed received an “R” rating, specifically for “Strong violence and gore, language throughout, sexual references, and brief graphic nudity.”