While he was running around at his first San Diego Comic-Con as a member of the press, our own Mike McLarty had a chance to sit in on the Hall H panel for The Toxic Avenger.
Force of Will Brings The Toxic Avenger to Theaters This Month
For approximately a year, audiences have been promised a rebooted version of Troma Entertainment’s The Toxic Avenger. The film stars Peter Dinklage in the title role, doling out carnage against forces that conspire against good. Writer and Director Macon Blair addressed the massive collection of fans assembled in San Diego Comic-Con International’s famed Hall H. On the panel were Dinklage, Elijah Wood (who based on a clip shared, plays the antagonist), Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige and most notably, Lloyd Kaufman, the head of Troma and the man responsible for launching “Toxie” into the public consciousness.
The panel began with a prerecorded message from one of the film’s most notable actors, Kevin Bacon. He expressed excitement over the film finally coming to theaters (scheduled for late August) and urged audiences to get to theaters and thanked Cineverse as being responsible for “…getting it out to the world.”
Concluding Bacon’s testimoniaL, writer and director Macon Blair didn’t mince words when it came to the delayed release that the gathered cast has a great affinity for. “…the studio said it was unreleasable due to gore and graphic content,” he shared with the charged audience.
Despite the disappointing designation of being deemed “unreleasable,” the film scored well with festival audiences who were fortunate enough to view it last year as it traveled the circuit. IMDb published the poster image and it garnered a significant amount of positive attention. Fan support, word of mouth, and the sheer persistence of everyone involved propelled the movie forward, avoiding alternative release strategies such as straight to streaming services.
While Macon Blair acknowledged that The Toxic Avenger is “not for everyone,” he spoke about the chaotic, funny and over the top vibe.
“We wanted to get the spirit of the original. We wanted a suit not CGI,” while also noting that, “the originals are very sweet.”
Lloyd Kaufman attributed word of mouth as being responsible for four decades of popularity. He issued thanks to the fans that “Troma has been here for 52 years.”
“I love horror because of the possibilities,” Elijah Wood explained. “It allows for anything creatively. I love those restrictions being lifted.”
Peter Dinklage discussed what drew him to the role after playing “kings, tyrants, and heroes.”
“I grew up in New Jersey (where the film takes place) and I know about environmental concerns that were addressed through humor and satire. This felt so perfect, necessary, and needed,” he shared.
Taylour Paige said that she was able to improvise and do most of her own stunts. She joked that the charm of the movie is that she’s in it. She went on to say that, “…it’s sincere, even if it’s crass.”
“I had to relinquish control of about 70% of my performance. Stunt people and body doubles did almost everything in the character.”
“It turned out to be the best decision,” Dinklage said and recalled “a leap of faith and trust turned out to be exhilarating.”
Most of the filming took place over 3 months in Bulgaria and The Toxic Avenger will finally be available for public consumption in theaters, August 29th.
Were you at the panel? Are you going to see the movie when it finally hits theaters? Feel free to leave a comment below or chat with us on Threads at @theconventioncollective, or Bluesky at @theconcollective.bsky.social
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