The news of Legendary’s reboot of “The Toxic Avenger” was announced, fans of the original (such as this writer) were shocked. Would Legendary really dip its toes in the Troma cesspool of depravity and punk rock filmmaking to make an R-rated superhero film? If Peter Dinklage is to be believed, the answer is an emphatic “yes!”
According to an interview with Empire, Peter Dinklage, who is set to star in the upcoming “Toxic Avenger” film from writer-director Macon Blair (“I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.”), talked about why he took the role in the superhero film and what attracted him to a film that will no doubt carry the Troma badge.
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“It’s a lot of fun,” Dinklage said. “I just wanted to do something that I’ve never done before. So why not be a monster in an over-the-top, crazy movie, and why not sing in another one?”
For context, when he talks about singing in a film, he’s not expected to sing in “Toxic Avenger.” Instead, he’s referring to his awards-contending role in “Cyrano.” And for those that don’t know the story of “The Toxic Avenger,” the film is sorta like a Peter Parker/Steve Rogers scenario where a skinny, nerdy weakling gains superpowers and becomes a badass hero. Except, instead of being a science nerd like Peter Parker or a brave fighter like Steve Rogers, the Toxic Avenger was formerly a lowly janitor who is dipped in toxic waste and becomes a disfigured, Hulk-esque monster with a tutu and a mop.
When asked if the new “Toxic Avenger” film will keep the same sort of sense of humor and ridiculousness of the original Troma production (if you don’t know who Troma is, then you really should just google a list of the studio’s films), Dinklage didn’t mince words and put a lot of fans’ minds at ease.
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“It’s not a remake,” said the actor. “I just like guerrilla filmmaking. Those movies – they just made them, no matter what. They just did it because they love doing it. Some of them are not the best, but some are so much fun. When you make movies too clean, it can distance the audience. They want to feel the dirt under their fingernails. I think those Troma films definitely dipped the audience in toxic waste.”
There’s no official release date set for “The Toxic Avenger.” However, with Dinklage’s comments, you better believe a large number of fans are going to be excited to see what he and Macon Blair have up their sleeves.
For additional context, you can watch the trailer for the original “Toxic Avenger” below: