The Toxic Avenger is oozing his way back into theaters and mopping up the competition. A highly anticipated reimagination of the '80s cult classic, the movie hits theaters around the United States on August 29th. The Toxic Avenger franchise is filled with irreverent humor, fun and a little bit of gore.

Well... a lot a of gore!

The Toxic Avenger originated as a 1984 movie, subsequently followed by three additional films between 1989 and 2000, spawning a comic book, a video game, a TV series, and a musical created by the Tony-winning team of playwright Joe DiPietro (book and lyrics) and Bon Jovi’s David Bryan (music).

The new film, The Toxic Avenger: Unrated from Legendary Pictures and TROMA Entertainment  stars Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Elijah Wood, Kevin Bacon and more. This reboot captures the spirit of the original movie while revitalizing it for a new audience. 

"One thing about Toxie is that he loves musicals," says Lloyd Kaufman, President of TROMA and co-creator of The Toxic Avenger. "The Toxic Avenger has been a hero for the downtrodden for over 40 years and the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down. Toxie’s journey from outcast to savior and his battle against greed, corruption and cruelty is just part of his enduring appeal. The other part is that his powers are derived from toxic waste. Michael Herz and I are thrilled about this huge Toxerrific film by Macon Blair, but EQUALLY Toxerrific is the award-winning stage musical that is carrying on his legacy! The Toxic Avenger is the hero we need now and for generations to come!"

The Toxic Avenger: The Musical follows Melvin Ferd the Third, who wants to clean up Tromaville, the most polluted town in New Jersey. After being tricked by the mayor’s crew, Melvin is transformed into The Toxic Avenger by falling into a vat of radioactive toxic waste. As New Jersey’s first superhero, Toxie, sets out of save New Jersey, end global warming, and woo the librarian in town.  

The Toxic Avenger: The Musical won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical in 2009. It has since played across the US and around the world with notable productions in London, Melbourne and South Korea. In 2018, a film of The Toxic Avenger: The Musical was released and is now available for streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV. 

"When Lloyd Kaufman first approached David and I about turning his bonkers cult horror classic, 'The Toxic Avenger,' into a bonkers musical, how could two boys from New Jersey resist?" remarks Joe DiPietro. "Lloyd's only stipulation was that we keep the basic premise. Well, here's the basic premise -- a nerdy dude gets thrown into a vat of toxic goo and emerges as New Jersey's first superhero while falling in love with a blind girl who can't see that he's also a mutant. What screams musical comedy more than that? David and I grew up on the great comedies of the '70s and '80s (Monty Python, Mel Brooks) and we wanted to capture that sprit in a raucous rock 'n roll romp full of anarchy, questionable taste and a surprising message about climate change. Thus The Toxic Avenger: The Musical emerged and has, ever since, delighted audiences from New Jersey to Off-Broadway to The West End and beyond. We hope you'll love performing it as much as we loved writing it."

Complimenting the show’s uproarious book is a rock score featuring hilarious songs such as "My Big French Boyfriend," "Thank God She’s Blind," "Evil is Hot," and "All Men Are Freaks."

David Bryan adds, "Working on The Toxic Avenger: The Musical was a great experience! When Joe told me about Toxic and the storyline he had, I laughed out loud! We wrote almost all of the songs in two weeks and then we got John Rando to direct. His concept was brilliant. It’s a funny and heartfelt musical. It’s a wonderful thing to make people laugh and cry. And our Toxie is victorious in the end. I’ve seen many productions and I love them all! Each production takes on a life of its own. We’ve had so many actors who crushed it, and so many musicians who crushed it as well. The Toxic Avenger lives on thanks to our many fans around the world."

Now is the perfect time to check out The Toxic Avenger: The Musical for your next production. With the revitalization of the franchise, an environmental spirit, a toxic love story, and a comedic twist, The Toxic Avenger: The Musical is as relevant as ever, even if you don’t live in New Jersey.

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