John Travolta has made some interesting choices over the span of his career, but this one might rank as one of the weirdest. According to Cinema Blend , the Pulp Fiction star could play a major role in the reboot of the low-budget cult classic The Toxic Avenger . Of course, at this moment in time, Travolta’s involvement is nothing more than a rumor.
Although very little is known about the project at the moment, industry website It’s On the Grid lists Hot Tub Time Machine mastermind Steve Pink as the director of the project. However, nothing has been officially confirmed as of this writing, so both Pink and Travolta’s involvement in the production could change at the drop of a hat.
Anyone who has seen the original Toxic Avenger understands the many issues the reboot is facing. The first film, which was directed by Troma visionaries Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman, is loaded with gratuitous sex and violence and could easily be described as horribly offensive. Transforming this property into something that is easily consumable by the masses will involve gutting the premise and retooling the entire storyline. Fans of the franchise will no doubt be unhappy about the prospect of a remake.
The reboot of The Toxic Avenger is yet another installment of Hollywood’s seemingly unending obsession with remaking movies that, honestly, don’t need to be bothered. Director Len Wiseman thought Total Recall needed a modern makeover, though critics didn’t embrace the reimagining with open arms. Next year, moviegoers will be able to experience a reboot of Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop , which features The Killing co-star Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Jackie Earle Haley, and Hugh Laurie.
In other remake news, a Japanese version of the classic Clint Eastwood western Unforgiven was recently announced with Inception alumnus Ken Watanabe slated to star.
Would you watch a Toxic Avenger remake starring John Travolta?
