EXCLUSIVE: Julia Davis and Elijah Wood have joined Peter Dinklage and Jacob Tremblay in Legendary’s new Toxic Avenger movie. Taylour Paige and Kevin Bacon are also on board for director Macon Blair.
A contemporary reimagining of Troma Entertainment’s successful 1984 low-budget action comedy hit, The Toxic Avenger is steeped in environmental themes and subverts the superhero genre in the vein of Deadpool. When a struggling everyman is pushed into a vat of toxic waste, he is transformed into a mutant freak who must go from shunned outcast to underdog hero as he races to save his son, his friends and his community from the forces of corruption and greed. Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz will serve as producers.
The Toxic Avenger became successful after a long run as a midnight movie in New York City, leading to sequels The Toxic Avenger Part II, The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie, and Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV. The property also became a stage musical production, a children’s cartoon TV series and a Marvel comic.
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Wood recently starred in the acclaimed comedy horror film Come to Daddy, which premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and previously was seen in Macon Blair’s I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. He is repped by ICM Partners, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and attorney Neil Meyer.
Davis created and starred in the BAFTA-winning comedy series Sally4Ever for Sky Atlantic and HBO and won a BAFTA for writing Hunderby, in which she also starred. A two-time BAFTA winner and eight-time nominee, Davis is one of the most acclaimed voices in UK comedy. She created and starred in the series Camping, Human Remains, Nighty Night and Hunderby. She is repped by Claire Maroussas at Independent Talent.
The Illuminerdi first reported Wood’s involvement, though he won’t be playing the villain as first reported; that role will be played by Kevin Bacon.