You may recall seeing a teaser for a new Toxic Avenger some time ago with Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage in the lead role of Toxie, the mop-wielding monster created by toxic waste and a bad case of bullying at a health club.
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You weren’t dreaming. A teaser and images were released last fall and a screening took place at Fantastic Fest. After that, however, it’s been nothing but radio silence, and for good reason.
According to a report by World of Reel, the remake lives up to its name and is being called unreleasable due to an inability to find a game distributor despite some positive reviews.
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But critical reception is below expectations according to one producer who said it’s “too out there” for theaters.
“If it had great reviews then maybe the forecast would be a little rosier, but there isn’t much potential. It’s too niche. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see it on Tubi a few years from now,” they said to WOR.
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The Toxic Avenger might get dropped off at one streaming service or another, or VOD, if it is ever released at all. Skeptical filmmaker and producer Adam Masnyk expressed his feelings on Twitter/X.
Confirming that the film is “not safe enough to market,” and thus the trepidation of most distributors, Masnyk worries it could become “lost media.”
“This is factual. This is what we – I work in movie product licensing – were officially told as well regarding it,” he said.
It’s odd that a horror film would be spurned for (most likely) its content in this day and age, especially when the cast includes Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon. However, Peter Dinklage’s reputation has wavered enough to have some effect.
The Toxic Avenger remake is the sophomore effort by director Macon Blair who received plaudits at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 for the winner I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.