The Toxic Avenger will return as Legendary acquires rights to the Troma hero

THE TOXIC AVENGER was a low-budget comedy splatter film from Troma Entertainment which quickly began a cult classic and spawned several sequels (THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II, THE TOXIC AVENGERS PART III: THE LAST TEMPTATION OF TOXIE, and CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER IV), an animated TV series (Toxic Avengers), a musical, and a video-game. Now, it appears as though Toxie will finally be headed to theaters in a big-budget reboot.

Legendary Entertainment has acquired the rights to THE TOXIC AVENGER and will soon be developing a reboot of the film with the aim that it will be turned into a new franchise. Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, who directed the original 1984 movie and are the founders of Troma, are onboard to produce the new project. THE TOXIC AVENGER tells the story of Melvin Ferd, a stereotypical 98-lb nerd who falls into a vat of toxic waste after being tormented by bullies and is transformed into a hideously disfigured creature with superhuman size and strength who ruthlessly fights crime.

At the moment, there is no writer or director currently attached, but it's not the first time that Toxie has been on the cusp of being remade. Nearly a decade ago it was announced that a remake of THE TOXIC AVENGER would be co-written and directed by Steve Pink (HOT TUB TIME MACHINE) with Arnold Schwarzenegger in talks to star. Unlike the Troma movies, the reboot would be a family-friendly PG-13 outing similiar to the animated TV series. After languishing in development hell for several years, SAUSAGE PARTY director Conrad Vernon signed on to helm the film just two years ago, saying "The opportunity to re-imagine a favorite cult-classic from my high school years is an honor. Toxie is an underground icon. My favorite kind!" Looks like it will be up to someone else to bring Toxie back to life.