The Toxic Avenger is turning into one of the most intriguing reboots in recent years, largely due to its stacked cast which now includes Elijah Wood and Julia Davis. Deadline reports the pair are officially on board the Legendary remake directed by Macon Blair. The duo join Peter Dinklage, who stars as the titular hero, a man whose unfortunate life circumstances lead him to adopt the repugnant moniker.
No word yet on who Wood or Davis are playing. However, early rumors suggested Wood was set to play opposite Dinklage as the movie's villain. Last week we learned Kevin Bacon snagged the baddie role putting the kibosh on that theory.
It's no surprise to hear Wood's name bandied around in connection with the villain. In the last decade, his choice of roles has shifted from the typical clean-cut nice guy to more, shall we say, esoteric oddballs. 2012's Maniac reboot saw him embody the role of a New York serial killer, with Come to Daddy further cementing his genre cred. He delivered a great turn in the Netflix original film, I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, also directed by Blair.
Davis, meanwhile, will be more familiar to UK comedy fans with turns in Sally4Ever, which earned her a BAFTA, and Hunderby, which also snagged her a BAFTA. She's not only a gifted writer, she's a tremendous comedic actor with great physical comedy chops. It'll be interesting to see how she fares in the horror stylings of The Toxic Avenger.
With this pair now joining the cast, that also includes Room's Jacob Tremblay and Taylour Paige in the female lead, this remake feels like it's taking on a comedic verve absent in the first movie.
The original Toxic Avenger released in 1984 went on to become a cult classic. An underdog B-movie that gained a following at midnight screenings, it eventually spawned a number of sequels and a children's cartoon before laying dormant. Troma veterans Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz are back to produce this newest incarnation of the property.
