The first teaser trailer for The Toxic Avenger remake was released last October. We haven't heard much since then, though reviews from various film festivals have been largely positive (in fact, with 24 verdicts counted, it sits at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes).
However, word comes from World of Reel today that filmmaker Macon Blair's movie starring Peter Dinklage is currently considered "unreleasable."
The site claims to have spoken to a producer who says The Toxic Avenger's commercial prospects are too "out there" for any sort of traditional theatrical release, likely explaining why the movie still has no confirmed distributor.
As a result, it's looking increasingly likely that it will have to be offloaded to a streamer or go straight to VOD.
There's been a fair bit of excitement surrounding The Toxic Avenger, so the news it may never see the light of day is deeply troubling. Yes, that's a possibility according to the site. Here's an excerpt from their report:
"Filmmaker and producer Adam Masnyk recently went on Twitter/X and confirmed that the film has been deemed 'not safe enough to market,' which he claims is why no one has stepped up to distribute it. When all is said and done, it could maybe even turn out to be 'lost media.'"
"This is factual. This is what we — I work in movie product licensing — were officially told as well regarding it."
At this rate, even an obscure streaming platform could be a big ask for The Toxic Avenger and that's presumably related to its gory subject matter. However, if In a Violent Nature can receive a big screen release, why not this movie?
Written and directed by Macon Blair, Legendary Entertainment's The Toxic Avenger is a contemporary reimagining of Troma Entertainment’s 1984 cult classic of the same name created by Lloyd Kaufman. This film features a stellar ensemble, led by Peter Dinklage in the title role, that includes Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon.
The Toxic Avenger follows struggling everyman-janitor Winston Gooze, who is transformed by a horrible toxic accident into a new evolution of hero: The Toxic Avenger! Now with super-human strength and wielding a glowing mop for his unconventional weapon, he must race against time to save his son and stop a ruthless and power-hungry corporate tyrant bent on harnessing toxic superpowers to strengthen his polluted empire.
As noted, the movie doesn't have a confirmed release date.