Elijah Wood on THE TOXIC AVENGER, Cult Remakes, and Why He Loves Weird Movies
Elijah Wood will always be remembered as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, but his career since has proven he has a taste for the strange, the dark, and the unexpected.
His latest project, The Toxic Avenger, continues that streak. The cult classic remake arrives in theaters August 29, with Wood playing Fritz, the deformed henchman and brother of Kevin Bacon’s wild over-the-top villain.
At San Diego Comic-Con, Wood spoke with io9 about the bizarre character and why he gravitates toward genre-bending films that push boundaries.
When asked about creating a backstory for Fritz, Wood said the character’s pain is written into his appearance and role.
“He was born physically deformed, probably picked on. His brother was always smarter, more handsome, more capable. I think he desperately wanted to be loved and sort of wasn’t; he was kicked to the side and treated like shit.
“And so I think that turned him into, well, ‘I guess I’m the henchman,’ and I think that brought out, not necessarily an evil in him, but I think it was like, resentment breeds dark deeds.”
Wood added that Fritz’s heart isn’t entirely dark.
“He probably really wants just to be loved. He’s actually sort of a sweet guy, and he’s just misunderstood.”
This isn’t Wood’s only recent turn into villain territory. Earlier this year, he appeared in Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey. When comparing Fritz to Ted Hammerman, his character in that film, Wood didn’t hesitate.
“Oh, [The Monkey’s] Ted Hammerman, without question. Odious is a great word, by the way. Yeah, Ted is awful. Just a toxic male [who] thinks he knows better than everybody else.
“He’s got his whole perspective on what makes a great father, although I don’t think he really does know what makes a great father. That was a blast. I love Osgood too, and it was a joy to come and join that for a bit.”
Wood has developed a pattern of appearing in remakes of beloved cult titles, from 2012’s Maniac to The Toxic Avenger. For him, it’s not about nostalgia, but how the material is reinvented.
“Remakes are tricky, you know, and both of these films are related in the sense that they made something new of the source material rather than regurgitating it in the same way.”
He pointed to Maniac’s unusual style as a big draw.
“My character doesn’t really show up. It’s primarily a POV film. I love POV horror; it’s really interesting. There’s a great POV horror film from the ‘60s, Peeping Tom.
“It reminded me of that a little bit, about how wonderful to take this and put you sort of in the mindset of, or at least the POV of, the characters.”
What ultimately sold Wood on The Toxic Avenger was director Macon Blair, who he previously worked with on I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.
“I’ll do anything Macon asks; I’m a huge fan of his work. He’s a dear friend. And then to be asked to play a character like this in this universe was just a blast. I think it was clear that it was an approach to the original material that was very much its own but had total reverence for what Lloyd [Kaufman of Troma Entertainment] had created.”
For Wood, these choices aren’t part of some career strategy to corner the market on cult remakes. It’s more instinctive.
“So it was circumstantial that these two things came into my life. I don’t know that I’m seeking these things out, but I love genre, and I’m always going to be interested in making something weird and funny and absurd.”
With The Toxic Avenger finally stomping its way into theaters, fans will get to see exactly how weird, funny, and absurd Wood and Blair’s new take on the cult classic really is.