Peter Dinklage Shares Disappointing News About Film’s Release

Last year, the reboot of The Toxic Avenger had its festival premiere at Fantastic Fest and was met with a great deal of praise. Following its debut, the film boasted a 92% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes after just 25 reviews. After years in development, the movie finally secured Peter Dinklage, known for his role in Game of Thrones, as its star. However, despite the positive reception nearly a year ago, there is still no official release date for the film.

In a recent interview with ComicBook, Peter Dinklage discussed his new western/thriller, The Thicket, but also provided an update on The Toxic Avenger‘s release. When asked if he had any information on the release date, Dinklage candidly replied, “No, I’m not a producer on it. I don’t know.” He added, “I do want it to get out there into the world because it was a really big hit at Fantastic Fest in Austin, and Macon Blair, the writer/director who is also in The Thicket … He’s incredible. He’s one of my favorite people and favorite artists. So hopefully it will have its day in the toxic sun.”

The Toxic Avenger is based on the long-running franchise created by the legendary schlock film studio, Troma. The original film, which premiered in 1984, follows the story of Melvin Ferd Junko III (Mitch Cohen), who transforms from a zero to a toxic hero after a bullying incident goes awry. Macon Blair’s contemporary take on the story features Peter Dinklage as downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze, who, after falling into a vat of toxic waste, becomes The Toxic Avenger.

This reimagined version of the film heavily incorporates environmental themes as Winston takes on the evil forces of greed and corruption to save his son, friends, and community. Despite existing on its own terms, the spirit of the new film remains connected to the original. Fans of Troma will be pleased to know that the film has been rated R for violence and gore, staying true to Troma’s tradition.

Peter Dinklage previously commented on the film by stating, “It’s not a remake. 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.”

For now, fans will need to stay tuned for more updates regarding The Toxic Avenger. In the meantime, Dinklage’s The Thicket hits theaters on September 6th.

Source: ComicBook, Rotten Tomatoes, Empire