Welcome to some of the best movie news you’ll hear all day. Remember the remake of Troma’s hit The Toxic Avenger? You might have to dig deep — because it’s been ages since we had heard any updates on its status. But rest assured, he’s on his way to avenge, and he’s going to do it at this year’s stacked Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas next month.
“Let’s start with the headline grabbers,” the festival announced via Twitter on August 15. “Opening night: THE TOXIC AVENGER. Peter Dinklage wields the mop. Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon rule. Macon Blair directs. [Legendary] produces. FF audiences flip.” You can say that again; Even those of us who won’t be able to make it out to the Lone Star state will be flipping, there’s no doubt about it.
Accompanying the tweet was a brand new image from the film — the first “sign-of-life” we’re getting of the finished product. The still shows Dinklage as the Avenger himself, basked in shadow but nevertheless holding his janitor’s mop.
Needless to say, Green Room and Blue Ruin star Blair’s take on the classic Troma property is nearly upon us — and it’s just in time to drum up some real buzz for the project ahead of the spookiest month of the year. Blair has proven himself to be a really smart voice in genre filmmaking over the years, and his sophomore directorial effort has been highly anticipated for years at this point.
Blair wrote this new take on the Toxic Avenger on top of his directorial duties, and his approach to genre work — particularly his first film, I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore — shows a lot of promise when it comes to jumping into a franchise like this goopy Troma classic. There’s a major chance that this movie is going to totally rule, and I, for one, feel like it deserves the benefit of the doubt. After all, look at that cast and creative team.
Legendary Pictures produced the film, which stars Game Of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage in the title role. Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Taylour Paige, and Jacob Tremblay round out the cast of what is sure to be a wild ride. The film will premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 21.
Lex Briscuso is film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.