After a long search for a distributor, The Toxic Avenger — a remake of the 1984 cult classic — is coming to theaters this summer. The movie stars Game of Thrones veteran Peter Dinklage as a janitor who gets superpowers and mounts a revolting one-man war on crime. How revolting? The movie is not rated, but a warning label shared on the film's Twitter/X page states that we're in for "ultra violent/toxic content, piss play, mutant nudity, and gnarly theater fun."
Not only is THE TOXIC AVENGER 92% rated on @RottenTomatoes, it’s going to theaters UNRATED.
— The Toxic Avenger Movie (@ToxicAvenger) May 2, 2025
Show the f*ck up 8.29. pic.twitter.com/bIvtjqFkkz
"Absolutely no one under 18 permitted," the label adds. "Don't even try to get in." Ah, the old reverse psychology gambit.
All of this is pretty much in keeping with the spirit of the original, which was made by Troma Entertainment, famed for being masters of schlock. Despite (or because of) its reputation, the original Toxic Avenger movie was a fairly big success; it inspired a book series from Marvel Comics, a video game and an animated show.
Likewise, although the new movie is trying to sell itself as the kind of thing that should be seen by as few people as possible, it's actually got a pretty fancy pedigree; in addition to four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage in the lead role, the movie also stars Kevin Bacon and Elijah Wood, so the cast has some high-watt talent in its ranks. And The Toxic Avenger is sitting pretty with a 92% fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Is it so bad it's good or just good? You'll have to buy a ticket to find out. Are you not intrigued?
Based on this trailer, The Toxic Avenger will also take aim at big business and the pharmaceutical industry. Are audiences ready to flock to theaters to see a movie as willfully gross and counter-cultural as this? Movies in the horror genre, and I think this basically counts, do tend to have built-in audiences, even when they aren't part of a big franchise; look at the recent success of Sinners for evidence. We'll find out how The Toxic Avenger fares when it opens in theaters on August 29.
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h/t Games Radar