Taylour Paige is cast as the female lead in the Toxic Avenger remake opposite Peter Dinklage and Jacob Tremblay.
Macon Blair is directing the reboot of Troma Entertainment’s 1984 low-budget action-comedy franchise.
The film centered on Melvin, a social misfit who works as a janitor at the Tromaville Health Club. However, one day the mayor’s bullies push him into a vat of radioactive toxic waste. The chemicals cause him to transform into a hideously deformed mutant. He also gets superhuman size and strength and becomes the Toxic Avenger, New Jersey’s first superhero. Over night he goes from shunned outcast to underdog hero as he races to save his son, his friends and his community from its corrupt mayor.
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Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to the Toxic Avenger franchise in 2018 and announced that a new film was in development. The studio brought on producers Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz of Troma Entertainment, who both produced the original 1984 comedy to produce the Toxic Avengers remake.
The Toxic Avenger was the film that built the house of Troma and was Troma’s first horror film. After its release the film has a successful long run as a midnight movie in New York City. The film grew into a franchise releasing sequels The Toxic Avenger Part II, The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie, and Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV.
The 80s franchise also spanned into a stage musical production, a children’s cartoon TV series and a Marvel comic. The studio hasn’t revealed any character details.
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Paige has starred in Boogie, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, White Boy Rick, as well as VH1’s Hit THe Floor. Up next you can catch Paige in Janicza Bravo-directed feature, Zola set to release on June 30.
Originally read on Deadline.