Toxic Avenger Reboot Adds Jacob Tremblay

Development on Legendary's Toxic Avenger reboot continues. Actor Peter Dinklage is already set to play the titular Avenger, and now Jacob Tremblay will join him according to Deadline.

The original 1984 film, produced by Troma Entertainment and co-directed by founders Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, sports Troma's trademark low-budget visual effects and grotesque imagery. It tells the story of a man named Melvin who, after being pushed into a vat of toxic waste, transforms into a mutant. He has to save his family and town from organized crime and corrupt officials.

Deadline did not specify Tremblay's role, but it seems likely that the actor will play Melvin/Toxie's son. Tremblay is best known for his breakout role starring in Room alongside Brie Larson, as well as his role in Wonder, about a child living with Treacher Collins Syndrome.

Toxic Avenger didn't get much traction during its initial release, but New York's midnight cinema scene gave it new life, and Toxie appeared in multiple sequels, a children's cartoon and toys, and video games on NES, Nintendo Game Boy, and the Sega Genesis. Legendary acquired the license in 2018. Alongside Dinklage and Tremblay, Macon Blair is set to direct, while original co-directors Kaufman and Herz are producing the film.

Legendary has not yet set a release date for Toxic Avenger.

Image credit: Getty Images/Rodin Eckenroth