"The Toxic Avenger" Uncensored Full Trailer: Peter Dinklage Transformed into a Toxic-Mutated Superhero in Macon Blair’s Unrated Splatter-Horror Comedy Remake
Maintenance worker Winston Gooze (Dinklage) emerges from a vat of toxic waste as a grotesque, mop-wielding crusader to clean up corporate corruption—and pulverize some bad guys along the way.
Not enough is said about Lloyd Kaufman. Sure, the films he is most associated with are straight-up underground trashfests that border on the obscene and offensive. But what gets lost in the buckets of gore and juvenile humor is just how vital his role has been in shaping American independent cinema—where guerrilla filmmaking is not only celebrated but seen as a rebellious badge of honor.
Does Kaufman get the same respect as someone like Roger Corman, who has likewise been a stalwart figure in the world of indie film? No, probably not. But as the co-founder of Troma Entertainment and the co-creator of the 1980s cult classic The Toxic Avenger, Kaufman has firmly planted a flag in the mountain that is DIY filmmaking—loud, messy, unapologetic, and gloriously offbeat.
Where Corman is often credited as an influential elder, launching the careers of future Hollywood giants like Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, James Cameron, Joe Dante, Jonathan Demme, Ron Howard, and countless others— Kaufman, on the other hand, has always embraced the misfits, the weirdos, and the creative oddballs. James Gunn, Eli Roth, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone are among the most notable alumni who got their early starts in the wonderfully warped world of Troma.
Kaufman’s legacy isn’t just about the films themselves; it’s about the audacity to make them outside the system and create a market where many thought none existed. In a lot of ways, cinema needs more people like Kaufman… perhaps more than ever.
The stagnation of the movie business model has become painfully apparent, where risk-averse decisions are the norm and originality is often sacrificed because of it. In this current climate of declining box office returns, where films themselves aren’t connecting to audiences like they once were, perhaps we should look back at what Kaufman was able to do, if nothing else, at what sheer commitment to irreverent independence can accomplish. Where one can build a loyal cult following and use that as a foundation to sustain a decades-long career.
Hmm. Could a direct-to-consumer distribution model work? Maybe not for everyone. But for those bold enough to try, it just might be the future.
Perhaps we’re reaching a new era where we can collectively scream out, fuck the mainstream!—so we can embrace cinema that is less polished, less conventional, more weird, and more punk rock. At least one can dream of a new grassroots rebellion where the weird, the wild, and the wonderfully bonkers can thrive once again.
But we digress. Now let’s turn our attention to The Toxic Avenger, the upcoming remake starring Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage as the titular mutated superhero.
Last year, Dinklage starred as a bounty hunter going up against a savagely ruthless Juliette Lewis in the indie western thriller The Thicket (now streaming on Tubi and Prime Video). That film notably co-starred actor Macon Blair (Blue Ruin, Green Room), who previously worked with Dinklage on this movie. Blair directed and wrote this Toxic Avenger remake, which was actually completed back in 2023.
While promoting The Thicket, Dinklage was asked if audiences would ever get to see this long-delayed film, as rumors had begun swirling that it had been shelved and deemed un-releasable. At the time, Dinklage could only hope it would eventually get a theatrical release, as he claimed to have had a great time working on the movie with Blair.
Despite a well-received world premiere at 2023’s Fantastic Fest, the film’s extreme graphic gore was considered one of the main reasons it had trouble securing a distributor. And while it looked like the film might never see the light of day, Cineverse stepped up earlier this year, picking up the distribution rights with plans to release it nationwide at the end of August.
And yes! The film will be unrated—one of the biggest releases for an unrated film ever. And Cineverse should know a thing or two about unrated gory films, having released the splatter-horror smash Terrifier 3, likely following a similar release strategy for The Toxic Avenger.
Based on Lloyd Kaufman’s underground cult drive-in, late-night cable, and home-video franchise featuring four installments, this modern-day take on the original has Dinklage playing Winston Gooze, a lowly maintenance worker at a waste disposal corporation.
As someone who always kept to himself and never rocked the boat, Winston begins experiencing health problems—massive headaches likely caused by years of exposure to toxic waste. For the first time in his life, Winston decides to speak up, advocating for himself and seeking work compensation. His complaints make their way to the top of the company chain, where he comes face-to-face with the smug, soulless CEO Bob Garbinger (played by Kevin Bacon).
His confrontation soon leads Garbinger to hire a group of goons to take Winston out. He’s ambushed and tossed into a giant vat of toxic ooze—seemingly left for dead. But instead of dying, Winston emerges as something else entirely: a grotesquely mutated superhero with a thirst for vengeance and a mop-wielding sense of justice!
And despite his pint-sized stature, he has the power to pulverize body parts with a single tug or one vicious swipe of his toxified mop. SWOOOOOOSH! SPATTTT! THUD! THUD!!
Now, Winston must stand up for what’s right... and finally be the hero his son always believed he could be!
Jacob Tremblay co-stars as Winston’s son, Wade, with Elijah Wood taking on the role of Fritz, the villainous, sickly-looking enforcer tasked by Garbinger to take care of Winston. Fritz is also the manager of an Insane Clown Posse-like underground rock-rap group/hired assassins called The Killer Nutz.
Rounding out the cast are Taylour Paige, Sarah Niles, Julia Davis, Julian Kostov, David Yow, Jonny Coyne, and Rebecca O'Mara.
Prepare to witness justice get messy when The Toxic Avenger splatters into theaters on August 29th.
Official Synopsis:
When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.