Spare a thought for poor Melvin Ferd. When Margot Robbie gets pushed into a vat of toxic waste, she emerges as an even more attractive Margot Robbie. When Melvin gets tossed in, he emerges as the abominably ugly Toxic Avenger. At least the rule that ‘vats of strange substances in fantasy stories grant superpowers’ remain consistent; so while Harley Quinn is suddenly an expert gymnast and can wield a mean baseball bat, Toxie has super strength and wields a mean… mop. Close enough. Why are we suddenly ruminating on a 1984 Troma movie, you ask? Because after three decades it’s finally come time to reboot The Toxic Avenger, and this week brings a major update in its casting ahead of the film’s shoot later this June!

Before we get to the project’s latest development, let’s get up to speed: Game of Thrones veteran Peter Dinklage will be inheriting the mop, Room’s Jacob Tremblay is in the mix in an unknown role (possibly Toxie’s son), and Macon Blair is writing and directing for new rights holders Legendary Pictures. Blair is probably best known for his haunting turn in the award-winning 2013 indie Blue Ruin, but he’s also responsible for the fabulous 2017 Netflix Original I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore starring Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood, which marked his transition from actor to filmmaker. Happily, Blair’s reboot has the full blessing of original creators Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, who will both be on board as producers.

Now comes news that yet another interesting name has joined the picture in the form of Kevin Bacon himself. The actor is so omnipresent it’s scientifically proven that he can be linked to any other actor in the world in just six degrees of separation (give it a try!), so naturally he needs no introduction here. While the movie’s plot is still shrouded in secrecy, it is believed that Bacon will be playing its principal antagonist.

We’ll undoubtedly hear more on The Toxic Avenger remake as it gears up to shoot in Bulgaria any day now, so stay tuned for updates! In the meantime, for more Troma goodness, why not watch our exclusive interview with STARBURST International Film Festival Hall of Famer Lloyd Kaufman from last year! It’s every bit as bonkers as you might imagine…