Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, sets up what may be Ethan Hunt’s last mission in the new trailer

Six years have passed since Tom Cruise announced that the seventh and eighth films in the Mission: Impossible franchise would be shot back-to-back, and he has been in production on these films for a long time. We saw Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning back in 2024, and now the follow-up, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, is almost ready to make its way out into the world, heading toward a May 23rd release date. Just a few days ago, Cruise showed a new trailer for the film to the audience at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas – and now that new trailer has dropped online! You can check it out in the embed above.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning tells the second half of the story that began in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, with Ethan Hunt out to destroy an AI system called The Entity, which is housed in a sunken Russian stealth submarine. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and Dead Reckoning writer/director Christopher McQuarrie remains at the helm, working from a screenplay he crafted with Erik Jendresen. The official synopsis is very simple: Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

Cruise is being joined in the cast by Hayley Atwell, reprising her Dead Reckoning role of thief-turned-IMF-recruit Grace; Vanessa Kirby as arms dealer Alanna Mitsopolis, a.k.a. the White Widow, a character who was previously seen in both Fallout and Dead Reckoning; Ving Rhames as IMF agent Luther Stickell, who has been part of this franchise since the first Mission: Impossible movie in 1996; Simon Pegg as IMF agent Benji Dunn, who joined the party back in Mission: Impossible III; Henry Czerny as CIA director Eugene Kittridge, who was introduced in Mission: Impossible (1996) and finally made his long-awaited return in Dead Reckoning; Rolf Saxon as William Donloe, a CIA analyst who got in trouble after Ethan Hunt accessed his computer way back in the first Mission: Impossible; and more Dead Reckoning reprisals: Esai Morales as the Entity-serving terrorist Gabriel; Pom Klementieff as Gabriel’s former ally Paris; Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis as US Intelligence agents Briggs and Degas; Mariela Garriga as Marie, a mysterious woman from Ethan and Gabriel’s past; Mark Gatiss and Charles Parnell as the heads of the NSA and NRO;. There are also a handful of new additions to the franchise: Holt McCallany as Secretary of Defense Bernstein; Nick Offerman as Sydney, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Katy O’Brian, Stephen Oyoung, Tramell Tillman, Janet McTeer, Hannah Waddingham, and Lucy Tulugarjuk in unspecified roles.

What did you think of the new trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Interview: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 and 5 heroine Lisa Wilcox looks back on the experience of working on the Freddy Krueger sequels

The A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise has some of the best heroines of the horror genre – and my personal favorite of the Elm Street heroines is Alice Johnson, played by Lisa Wilcox in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child. JoBlo’s own Ryan Cultrera was able to catch up with Wilcox at the Ve Neill’s Vampire Weekend convention in California last month and talked with her about her encounters with Freddy Krueger and the experience of working on those classic ’80s horror films. You can hear what Wilcox had to say by checking out the video embedded above.

Directed by Renny Harlin from a screenplay by Brian Helgeland, Ken Wheat, and Jim Wheat (with Helgeland also sharing story credit with William Kotzwinkle), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master has the following synopsis: Your fave psycho-sandman is back! It’s the one-man-sleep-disorder, the unspeakably demonic Freddy Krueger, returning with a vengeance in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master! But wait. This time around, the fiendishly Freddy is up against a powerful new adversary! After beautiful young Alice sees the remaining Elm Street kids succumb one by one to Freddy’s razor-edged wrath, she embarks on a desperate mission to release the tortured souls of Freddy’s victims once and for all. Can this lone “Dream Master” defeat the satanic dream-stalker? Or will she have to wake up to the fact that no one is ever really ready… for Freddy? A special-effects-filled descent into sheer, unrelenting terror!

Wilcox was joined in the cast by Danny Hassel, Tuesday Knight, Ken Sagoes, Rodney Eastman, Brooke Theiss, Andras Jones, Toy Newkirk, Nicholas Mele, and Brooke Bundy, with Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. Plus, there’s a cameo appearance by Linnea Quigley as a soul in Freddy’s chest.

Directed by Stephen Hopkins from a screenplay by Leslie Bohem and a story crafted by John Skipp and Craig Spector, The Dream Child has the following synopsis: The fifth installment of the popular franchise focuses on Alice, a survivor of the fourth, who believes Freddy Krueger has been eliminated for good. She optimistically hopes to start a life with fellow survivor Dan. The nightmares begin soon enough, though, and Alice learns she is pregnant. When her friends start dying, Alice suspects that Freddy is using the fetus within her as a weapon. Can she fight the demon while protecting her unborn child?

For that one, Wilcox was joined in the cast by Kelly Jo Minter, Erika Anderson, Danny Hassel, Beatrice Boepple, Whitby Hertford, Joe Seely, and Nicholas Mele, with Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger and Michael Bailey Smith as Super Freddy.

Are you a fan of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and/or A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child? Take a look at our Lisa Wilcox interview, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

Speculation has emerged of Children of Men and Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarón as a frontrunner for the next James Bond.

UPDATE: During a masterclass at the Paris Cinema Club, Alfonso Cuarón seemed to address the James Bond rumors that have been floating around for the last month and possibly acknowledge that he’s in talks for the project. An audience member reported, “And he does mention the idea of directing the next James Bond movie, without mentioning the name of the franchise. ‘There is indeed THIS project under discussion, and I have the desire – if it is done – to revisit this story in my own way.’“

The original article, posted on March 23rd, follows:

In the wake of the news that Amazon had purchased the rights to the James Bond franchise, it seems a sure thing that we’ll be getting a lot of 007 news in 2025. And while we can only speculate on who will be taking over the role from Daniel Craig, there seems to be some strong buzz around a potential director, with eyes now circling Alfonso Cuarón to lead James Bond into the next era.

Coming off of word that Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing the next James Bond picture, Puck’s Matthew Belloni (on his podcast, The Town) predicted that Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón seems to be the most likely pick out there, although he’s cautious to say that his prediction is solid. (Sorry, Matt, you know every outlet is picking this up…) “It’s an informed, speculative pick here…And it is not Chris Nolan. I think the fact that he’s tied up for the next year and a half on The Odyssey, I just don’t think Amazon wants to wait that long. I think Jeff Bezos says, ‘Give me my Bond movie now,’ and they just cannot wait. The fact that they went directly to these producers suggests…But they want to move pretty fast on this. I think it’s going to be Alfonso Cuarón.”

So where does the speculation that Alfonso Cuarón might be the director of James Bond #26 come from? According to Belloni, his history with producer Heyman is key. “They go back to Gravity. They go back 21, 22 years to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. They’ve worked together a long time, they’re friendly. I have heard that there are some talks, that there is a take, and that they are serious. Now, it’s not like he’s negotiating or anything like that, but my prediction is that Alfonso Cuarón will direct the next James Bond.”

While some might want Christopher Nolan to be the one to lead James Bond following the Amazon buyout, Alfonso Cuarón might be a much stronger choice as director. He has, of course, worked with franchise fare before (and many would name Azkaban as the best Harry Potter movie), so he has that going for him. Add to that that his distinct visual style and skill in unique action sequences, and Cuarón could be the guy.

What do you think of Alfonso Cuarón as a pick for directing the next James Bond movie?

Benicio Del Toro plays Zsa-zsa Korda, one of the richest men in Europe, and he assembles a ragtag group for his most important project.

Just when you thought Wes Anderson couldn’t get more Wes Anderson, he continues to Wes Anderson and still makes it look intriguing and hilarious. Focus Features has released the new trailer for The Phoenician Scheme. The studio previously collaborated with Anderson on Asteroid City and Moonrise Kingdom, which was a partnership that turned out very well for them as Asteroid City earned an impressive $53.8 million at the box office for an arthouse film, while Moonrise Kingdom grossed $68.3 million and was nominated for an Oscar for its screenplay.

Anderson directed The Phoenician Scheme from a screenplay he wrote with Roman Coppola, who previously worked on the scripts for Anderson’s films The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch, and Asteroid City. Filming took place in Germany from March to June of 2024.

Described as an espionage comedy drama thriller, The Phoenician Scheme tells the story of a family and a family business. Benicio del Toro stars as Zsa-zsa Korda, one of the richest men in Europe, with Mia Threapleton as Sister Liesl, his daughter/a nun, and Michael Cera as Bjorn Lund, their tutor. Also in the cast are Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Bill Murray, who has been in most of Anderson’s movies (dating all the way back to his second feature, Rushmore), doesn’t appear in the trailer or in the cast list, but he was curiously announced as a cast member, so it could be possible he’ll be showing up in the film as a cameo of some sort.

The Phoenician Scheme was produced by Anderson for his American Empirical Pictures banner alongside longtime collaborators Steven Rales of Indian Paintbrush, Jeremy Dawson, and John Peet. The movie was made in association with Studio Babelsberg.

Focus Features is planning to give the film a limited release domestically on May 30, with a wide expansion to follow on June 6. Universal Pictures International is handling international distribution.

What did you think of the trailer? Share your thoughts on The Phoenician Scheme by leaving a comment below.

The What Happened to This Horror Movie series looks back at the 2012 film Dredd, starring Karl Urban as Judge Dredd

A new episode of our What Happened to This Horror Movie? video series has just been released, and with this one we’re taking a look back at the 2012 sci-fi action film Dredd (watch it HERE), which is based on the same comic book source material as the 1995 Sylvester Stallone movie Judge Dredd, but took a more faithful approach to the adaptation. You can hear all about it by checking out the video embedded above.

The official word is that Dredd was directed by Pete Travis from a screenplay by Alex Garland, although we were told that Garland actually directed the movie. The film has the following synopsis: The America of the post-apocalyptic future is an irradiated wasteland, a vast, ultraviolent world where criminals control the mean city streets. Ultimate law enforcers like Dredd and his new partner, Anderson, are Judges—the only force battling for justice. Dispatched by the central authority, the Judges target is Ma-Ma, a ruthless boss bent on expanding her criminal empire through sales of Slo-Mo, a dangerous reality-altering drug. With Dredd calling the shots, the two Judges declare full-scale war on crime in this unrelenting and brutal three-dimensional thrill ride.

Karl Urban starred as the title character and was joined in the cast by Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Wood Harris, Domhnall Gleeson, Warrick Grier, DeObia Oparei, Francis Chouler, Daniel Hadebe, Rakie Ayola, Langley Kirkwood, Edwin Perry, Karl Thaning, Michele Levin, Junior Singo, Luke Tyler, Jason Cope, Joe Vaz, Scott Sparrow, and Nicole Bailey.

This is what the What Happened to This Horror Movie series is all about: Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?

The Dredd episode of What Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written, Edited, and Narrated by Tyler Nichols, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

A couple of the previous episodes of the show can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

What do you think of Dredd? Let us know by leaving a comment!

Bruce Willis has made a career out of playing men who look like they haven’t slept since the late ‘80s, and The Last Boy Scout is no exception. Released in 1991, this action-packed, expletive-riddled, buddy-cop-adjacent flick directed by Tony Scott and written by Shane Black was basically Die Hard‘s rowdier, more foul-mouthed cousin. And yet, despite its A-list talent and explosive action, it somehow ended up as one of the most overlooked gems of the early ‘90s.

Now, let’s get one thing straight—I loved this movie growing up. So much so that I practically ran my VHS copy into the ground, forcing the poor tape to endure countless rewatches until it finally tapped out. RIP to that beautiful, plastic relic. Hopefully, the DVD holds out a little longer.

So, what the f*** happened? How did this film, with all its star power and razor-sharp dialogue, become more of a cult classic than a mainstream hit? Buckle up, because this ride involves studio battles, on-set feuds, and a whole lot of ‘90s action movie magic.

In case you need a refresher: The Last Boy Scout follows Joe Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis), a disgraced former Secret Service agent turned down-on-his-luck private detective. He teams up with Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans), a former pro football player with a gambling problem, after Dix’s girlfriend is murdered in the middle of a blackmail scheme involving politicians, mobsters, and a whole lot of bad decisions.

From the opening scene—where a football player literally pulls a gun and starts shooting defenders on his way to the end zone (a scene so batshit it’s almost too perfect for this movie)—you know this isn’t your typical action flick.

This movie is pure Shane Black. The man practically invented the buddy-cop genre with Lethal Weapon, and here he delivers everything you’d expect: hilarious one-liners, mismatched partners, and a plot so convoluted that you kind of stop trying to make sense of it by the third explosion. Tony Scott directs the whole thing like a high-octane fever dream, and Bruce Willis? He’s in peak Willis mode—cynical, hungover, and dropping insults like it’s his full-time job.

Alright, let’s get into the real drama: why didn’t The Last Boy Scout become a massive hit?

Well for one, the production was a nightmare. The making of this film was so chaotic that it deserves its own Behind the Music-style documentary. The movie had an all-star lineup, but it turns out that when you throw a bunch of Hollywood heavyweights into one production, you’re bound to get some, uh, “creative differences.” Shane Black was the golden boy of ‘80s and ‘90s action screenwriting, and Warner Bros. paid him a record-breaking $1.75 million for the script. It was the most expensive screenplay ever at the time. That’s right—someone paid nearly two million dollars for Bruce Willis to say, “This is the ’90s, you can’t just walk up and slap a guy, you have to say something cool first.” Worth every penny, honestly. Reportedly, Bruce Willis and Tony Scott did not get along. Willis had creative control, and Scott wanted to make his movie. Combine that with studio interference and tension between the producers, and you get a set where nobody was having fun—except, maybe, Shane Black, who was off cashing his million-dollar check. Producer Joel Silver (aka the guy behind Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and The Matrix) was in full Hollywood power-broker mode. He was known for being demanding, and his influence on the film’s production likely made things even more tense.

Some would say the movie was too “hardcore” for its own good. In the early ‘90s, studios were still trying to figure out what audiences wanted from R-rated action movies. Die Hard worked because it had a perfect mix of humor, action, and heart. The Last Boy Scout is…well, meaner. It’s nihilistic, drenched in cynicism, and filled with characters who don’t even pretend to give a shit about each other until they have to.

Audiences expecting Lethal Weapon‘s balance of action and camaraderie instead got Bruce Willis smoking himself into a coma while insulting literally everyone around him. And as much fun as that is for people like me who love their action heroes extra salty, it didn’t exactly scream “four-quadrant blockbuster.”

Despite its $43 million budget, The Last Boy Scout only made about $59 million worldwide. Not a flop, but definitely not a hit either. Part of this was due to stiff competition (Hook and Star Trek VI were big that month), but also because The Last Boy Scout had a reputation as a “troubled” movie before it even hit theaters. Negative buzz, fights on set, and behind-the-scenes drama all contributed to a lukewarm reception. 

Listen, I get why it wasn’t a mainstream hit, but The Last Boy Scout is glorious. It’s a chaotic, trash-talking, bullet-riddled spectacle that only could have come out of the ‘90s. The dialogue is endlessly quotable. The action is brutal and well-choreographed. And Bruce Willis, despite all the behind-the-scenes tension, delivers one of his most underrated performances.

And let’s not forget Damon Wayans! He doesn’t get enough credit for this one, but he and Willis have incredible chemistry. Even when they’re bickering like an old married couple, you want to see them succeed. 

The Last Boy Scout is one of the greatest action films of the ‘90s, yet it has somehow suffered one of the worst home media releases imaginable. Despite being a cult classic, the film has been treated like a forgotten relic. The DVD release was barebones, with no significant extras, and the Blu-ray wasn’t much better—just a slightly sharper version of the same lackluster package…but packaged as a double feature with another Brucie forgotten favorite, Last Man Standing.  Deleted scenes? Nowhere to be found. Behind-the-scenes footage? Probably locked away in a Warner Bros. vault, gathering dust next to True Lies’ long-lost special edition…but that’s a story for another time. 

At this point, we’re practically on our knees, begging Arrow Video, yes Arrow Video, to swoop in and save The Last Boy Scout from home media purgatory. If they can do it for Robocop, 12 Monkeys, Demolition Man and hell, even Jason X, they can give us the director’s cut, the outtakes, the Shane Black-penned scenes that never made it, and—most importantly—let us hear Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans’ best off-camera quips. We need the full treatment: a 4K restoration, interviews with the cast and crew, a deep dive into the film’s infamously troubled production, and maybe even a Joe Hallenbeck cigarette case as a collector’s edition bonus. They surely can rescue one of the greatest buddy action films of all time. Do it for the fans, Arrow. Do it for Friday Night Football!

As we stated earlier, over time, this film has developed a cult following—probably made up of people like me who grew up watching their VHS copies into oblivion. The movie is a perfect storm of everything that made ‘90s action movies great: slick dialogue, brutal fights, insane plot twists, and an unshakable commitment to badassery.

So if you haven’t revisited The Last Boy Scout in a while, do yourself a favor. Just, uh, be careful with your DVD. I’ve already lost one copy to excessive rewatches. Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself and remember “Nobody likes you. Everybody hates you. You’re gonna lose. Smile, you fuck.” 

Michael Sarnoski of Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One has signed on to write and direct the Death Stranding movie

Back in 2019, director Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions brought us the video game Death Stranding – and while fans wait for the sequel Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, there’s a film adaptation in the works at A24… and that adaptation has just found its writer/director. Deadline reports that Michael Sarnoski, director of the Nicolas Cage drama Pig and the creature feature A Quiet Place: Day One, has signed on to take the helm of the Death Stranding movie.

Sarnoski is currently in post-production on Death of Robin Hood, starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer.

The Death Stranding film will delve into the mysteries surrounding the “Death Stranding” – a catastrophic series of events that blurred the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead, bringing forth nightmarish creatures into a fragmented world on the brink of collapse. For the video game, players assume the role of Sam Porter Bridges, a character tasked with reuniting a divided America, rebuilding hope, and re-establishing connections among the last remnants of humanity. There’s no word on whether or not Sarnoski plans to bring the cast of the video game, which includes Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Guillermo del Toro, and Margaret Qualley, over to the movie.

Deadline notes that Death Stranding captured the imaginations of millions of players, reaching over 19 million players worldwide.

When asked if he had considered directing the movie himself, Kojima previously said, “I have only ever thought of Death Stranding as a game. People tell me it feels like a movie, but I made it as a game – the direction, the settings, the story. So, I don’t intend to look back at it and try to see it from a movie perspective. Those works are my babies, and I love movies, so I want it to be something that movie fans will really enjoy! I’ll supervise the plot and help them make it, but I won’t direct it. I can’t right now with three on-going projects! I’ll help by communicating with a director I really trust.” Now, it appears that Sarnoski is that trustworthy director.

Are you a fan of Death Stranding? What do you think of Michael Sarnoski signing on to write and direct the film adaptation? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Tom Cruise’s action franchise has had many exciting sequences and the Museum of Moving Images commemorates the big stunts in the series.

On Friday, April 18, the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) will launch a major initiative celebrating the phenomenon of Paramount Pictures’ thrilling MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise, ahead of the Memorial Day Weekend 2025 release of the eighth film in the series, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—The Final Reckoning. The exhibition will spotlight star and producer Tom Cruise’s exceptional commitment to practical stunt work, and explore how the series combines technical ingenuity, personal discipline, and artistic commitment, all in service of storytelling, character development, and performance.

The MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE experience at MoMI will be anchored by MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—Story and Spectacle, an exhibition that immerses visitors in the breathtaking stunts and key dramatic moments of the series, pulling back the curtain to allow insight into story and character development and the planning and execution of action sequences. The exhibition and related programs will provide a focal point for fans of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise, both those in New York and worldwide through virtual and/or livestreamed events.

Sections of the exhibition will be devoted to each film in the series, with a focus on that film’s key stunt or action sequence, along with unique behind-the-scenes content that offers insight on how the remarkable stunts were prepared for and filmed, complemented by related production artifacts.

“For almost 30 years, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films have thrilled audiences with suspenseful stories and unparalleled practical stunts,” said Barbara Miller, Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs. “MoMI is excited to partner with Paramount Pictures on this major exhibition to explore the series’ unique achievements and create a fun, illuminating experience for fans and visitors.”

Access to MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—Story and Spectacle will be included with general Museum admission tickets during its run.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—Story and Spectacle and related programs are supported by a Market New York grant from Empire State Development and I LOVE NY, New York State’s Division of Tourism.

Whatever the future of the Mission: Impossible franchise brings (if anything), we absolutely cannot wait to see where Cruise, McQuarrie and everybody else they talked into this heart-thumping, death-defying saga take movie #8. The Final Reckoning opens on May 23, 19 years and one day after the first debuted in 1996.

We talk to the real Melissa G. Moore and the cast including James Wolk and Tamera Tomakili about the thriller series.

True crime series are everywhere these days, so it can be easy to overlook new shows. The Paramount+ series Happy Face takes a unique approach to telling the true story of a serial killer and his daughter, who becomes an investigator in her own right. Using the books and podcast by Melissa G. Moore, Happy Face takes us through her journey from being victimized by her father’s crimes to becoming an advocate for those like her.

Happy Face is an incarcerated serial killer who is also Melissa Reed’s (Annaleigh Ashford) once-beloved father. After decades of no contact, Keith (Dennis Quaid) finds a way to force himself back into his daughter’s life. In a race against the clock, Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed. Throughout, she discovers the impact her father had on his victims’ families and must face a reckoning of her own identity.

I talked with the creative team and cast of Happy Face about the new series. Showrunner Jennifer Cacicio talked about the challenges of balancing dramatization with the true stories of the titular killer. Melissa G. Moore talked about the risks of popularizing serial killers and how she felt seeing her story told on screen. Dennis Quaid discussed his hesitation in playing such an evil character and how he approached it while Annaleigh Ashford talked about her approach to inhabiting Melissa. James Wolk reflected on channeling his Mad Men co-star Jon Hamm while Tamera Tomakili explored what being a true crime producer felt like. Teen actor Khiyla Aynne talked about playing the granddaughter of a serial killer, while nine-year-old Benjamin Mackey talked about the support he had on set. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.

Happy Face is now streaming on Paramount+.

About the Author

Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com’s primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.

Back in 1984, Troma Entertainment brought the world The Toxic Avenger (watch it HERE), a film about “the first superhero from New Jersey.” That film spawned a franchise, leading to The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989), The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989), Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000), a stage musical, and an animated series called Toxic Crusaders. For a long time, we’ve been hearing that Troma wanted to make a Toxic Avenger 5 – but instead doing that, they have loaned out the rights to Legendary Pictures, allowing them to make a remake of the original film that’s set to reach theatres on August 29th, courtesy of Cineverse. In anticipation of the film’s long-awaited release, we have put together a list of Everything We Know About the Toxic Avenger Remake… and here we go:

WRITER / DIRECTOR

At the helm of this new take on The Toxic Avenger is Macon Blair, who is best known to many as an actor, due to his roles in the likes of Murder Party, Blue Ruin, Green Room, Oppenheimer, and more. He made his directorial debut with the 2017 comedy thriller I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.

The original film centered on a dorky fellow named Melvin Junko, who worked as a janitor at health club in the town of Tromaville, New Jersey. When a prank gone wrong ends with Melvin taking a dive into a barrel of toxic waste, he’s transformed into the hulking, deformed hero known as the Toxic Avenger, who sets out to get revenge on the people who wronged Melvin, and to clean up the crime-riddled streets of Tromaville.

Blair’s take on the Toxie concept centers on Winston Gooze, a stereotypical weakling who works as a janitor at Garb-X health club and is diagnosed with a terminal illness that can only be cured by an expensive treatment that his greedy, power hungry employer refuses to pay for. After deciding to take matters into his own hands and rob his company, Winston falls into a pit of toxic waste and is transformed into a deformed monster that sets out to do good and get back at all the people who have wronged him.

Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz produced the film with Legendary Entertainment. When Dread Central asked him what level of input he wanted to have on the remake, Kaufman said, “Macon Blair knows Troma better than I do. He’s seen everything. He’s seen the cartoon, he’s seen the Halloween special, he’s seen everything. And he loves our movies like Troma’s War and Terror Firmer. I’ve read the script and it’s better than the original and I leave it to him. If I’m called upon, I’d be happy to jump in. I learned on the musical to leave the creative to the creative. I learned to let them ask so if they want me, I’m there. … If (Legendary) let(s) Macon Blair direct it, I think it will be terrific. He knows the Troma sense of humor, the combination of slapstick and satire with the environmental theme.“

CAST

Peter Dinklage takes on the role of Winston Gooze and is joined in the cast by Kevin Bacon as villainous corporate overlord Bob Garbinger; Elijah Wood as Bob’s brother Fritz Garbinger, who is described as “sort of Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the Danny DeVito Penguin mixed together”; a group of lunatics / musicians called the Killer Nutz, who are “a rock and roll group where their presentation is theatrical evil, like KISS or Alice Cooper, but their moonlight gig is professional assassins”; Taylour Paige as investigative reporter / vigilante detective JJ Doherty; Jacob Tremblay as Winston’s stepson Wade; Jonny Coyne as a “shadowy criminal figure”; Sarah Niles as a “corrupt city official”; Julia Davis as an unspecified character; and Blair as a guy named Dennis.

According to The Illuminerdi, the main villain is Bob Garbinger – Leonine hair and eerie plastic surgery. Evil head of the shady company Garb X. He has no regard for the well being of anyone but himself and embarks on a murderous spree to become as powerful as Toxie. His ego is bolstered by his standing amongst the towns official but in reality he lives in fear of the underworld gang he’s indebted to.

Bringing the original Toxic Avenger to the screen was a collaborative effort. Mark Torgl played Melvin Junko, then Mitch Cohen took over the role when the character became Toxie (and Kenneth Kessler provided the voice). There’s a similar situation here, as Entertainment Weekly revealed that Dinklage doesn’t actually physically play Toxie. Instead, “Luisa Guerreiro, an actor and movement artist, provides the physical performance of Toxie underneath all that makeup and costume.” Dinklage does still provide the character’s voice after Winston becomes Toxie. 

Blair told Entertainment Weekly that Winston is “singularly unqualified to be a hero. He’s not especially brave, he’s not especially crafty, but he has his heart in the right place, and he starts taking it to the limit when he’s pushed into a corner.” The Toxic Avenger design was kept under wraps for a long time, and Blair said “His look is closer to (The Toxic Avenger Part II and The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie), and in terms of color palette we drew from the cartoon actually. But it’s practical effects. You can see all the goopy little boils and stuff like that. And we definitely stayed true to some of the really iconic elements: the tutu that’s melted onto his body, the janitor’s mop as his super weapon.“

The look of the character has since been revealed, along with images of several of the film’s other characters.

PRODUCTION & DELAY

The Toxic Avenger remake was filmed in Bulgaria – and fans have been waiting a long time to see it, because filming wrapped way back in 2021. After a long stretch of silence, a teaser trailer was unveiled near the end of 2023:

That was around the time it had its world premiere screening at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. After that screening, a lot of very positive first reactions made their way online. Viewers called it super gory, super silly, delightful, fun, twisted, gross, heartwarming, consistently insane, hilarious, goofy as hell, awesome, gnarly… pretty much every description you would hope to hear come out of a screening of a movie like this. And many of the people who got to see it said it remained faithful to its Troma roots.

Unfortunately, many distributors deemed the film to be “unreleaseable” due to its gore and graphic content. Fans were left wondering if they would ever have the chance to see the movie at all. Asked about the film’s status by ComicBook.com, Dinklage said, “I don’t know. I do want it to get out there into the world because it was a really big hit at Fantastic Fest in Austin, and Macon Blair, the writer/director who is also in The Thicket … He’s incredible. He’s one of my favorite people and favorite artists. So hopefully it will have its day in the toxic sun.“

Thankfully, at the start of 2025, Cineverse stepped in to acquire the distribution rights with the intention of giving the film a wide release, putting it on track for an August 29th theatrical release, kicking off Labor Day weekend. Macon Blair made a statement to Variety: “I’m beyond grateful to the team behind The Toxic Avenger who were so supportive and steady-handed as we searched for the perfect distribution partner for our film. It’s so cool that folks will have the chance to see this in theaters, it’s a fun rowdy movie you wanna see with a crowd. Mutant hero smashes bad guys with a mop: perfect entertainment for the whole family! Our goal was always to preserve the heart and spirit of the original Toxie (which was seared into my brain at a very young age) and try to make something that Troma fans would dig and at the same time do something with the character that feels fresh. Lloyd and Michael at Troma have been a blast to work with, absolutely everyone at Legendary are stars, and I can’t wait to start working with the champs at Cinverse to bring this version of Toxie to fans new and old.“

Cineverse chairman and CEO Chris McGurk added, “The Toxic Avenger isn’t just a great film; it’s an important one. Peter Dinklage’s transformative performance and Macon Blair’s fearless direction deliver a story that speaks to the anxieties of our time with outrageous humor and unflinching creativity. This is the kind of movie that major studios are averse to release because it dares to push boundaries, but Cineverse is rooted in championing bold, uncompromising storytelling. We believe audiences are ready – and eager – for films like this to take center stage.“

Soon after, another teaser trailer was released:

The film has received an R rating for “strong violence and gore, language throughout, sexual references and brief graphic nudity“ – and the gore includes a moment that has been referred to as “the butt guts scene.” Sound editor Casey Genton told Slash Film, “(The Toxic Avenger remake is) a really funny movie. Macon Blair, the director, I think did a really good job with it. Everybody was a dream on the film. I’m so surprised — for me personally, I had not seen the original Toxic Avenger until I had done this film. And it’s a huge cult classic, and I know people are really excited about it. When they have tested it, fans of the film have been over the moon with the film. […] It’s pretty out there. I think it’s a different crack. They’re giving the fans what they want, for sure. There’s no lack of — I know everybody references the little kid’s head getting run over and stuff (in the original). I think that there was an iteration of the film that didn’t have enough of that, so they made a very — I don’t want to ruin it. But it has, it’s been nicknamed the ‘butt guts’ scene, and it’s probably the best way to match that ‘head getting run over’ energy that everybody’s looking for. So it’s in line with the fan base, and I think it’s hilarious.“

In March, Cineverse decided to do some early marketing by sending the new film’s version of Toxie down the Chicago River on a boat, an appearance that coincided with the river being dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Video of Toxie’s boat ride can be seen in the X embeds below.

That’s everything we know about the Toxic Avenger remake right now, but with the release still five months away, we’re bound to learn more as the days tick by. In the meantime, keep scrolling down to see more of the images and promotional materials that have come out so far: