Peter Dinklage–the multiple Emmy Award-winning Game of Thrones actor–will expand his fantasy resume with the leading role in Legendary Entertainment’s reboot of 1984’s The Toxic Avenger.
The remake of Troma Entertainment’s cult classic will be written and directed by Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore), according to Deadline. No other casting choices or production timetables have been announced at this time.
Dinklage, of course, rose to prominence as Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s enormously popular Game of Thrones from 2011-2019, taking home an armful of awards and accolades for his efforts. He also appeared in such notable films as X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
This new reboot reportedly will pretty much follow the scenario of the low-budget original, with an everyman being pushed into a vat of toxic waste and transforming into “a mutant freak” who goes from “shunned outcast to underdog hero.” Along the way, the Toxic Avenger “races to save his son, his friends and his community from the forces of corruption and greed.” You can almost see Old Glory waving in the background.
This won’t be the first attempt to remake The Toxic Avenger. Around 10 years ago, it was announced that a reboot would be co-written and directed by Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine), with no less than Arnold Schwarzenegger in discussions to take the lead. That project–as ambitious as it sounds–fell apart after stagnating in production for years.
The original–directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman from a screenplay by Kaufman and Joe Ritter–starred Mitch Cohen, Mark Torgi, Andree Maranda and Pat Ryan, Jr. The movie told the bizarre story of a mop boy in Tromaville, N.J. named Melvin who falls into a vat of toxic waste and (somehow) becomes The Toxic Avenger.
And, as the synopsis explains, “now, evildoers will have a lot to lose.” Sure.
The original movie received mixed reviews and only grossed $800,000 on a budget of $500,000, but proved popular enough (thanks to fans flocking to midnight showings) to spawn three sequels, an animated children’s TV show, a musical (really), a video game and a comic book.
Keep reading Horror News Network for all future updates on this reboot of The Toxic Avenger.
