Believe it or not, Toxic Avenger 5 is still happening. The Toxic Avenger first arrived on the scene back in 1984 and has been a surprisingly enduring franchise. The low-budget flicks have come courtesy of Troma Entertainment, famous for their B-movie, independent offerings. Now, Troma's Lloyd Kaufman has confirmed a fifth entry in the franchise is still on the way.

Lloyd Kaufman recently sat down for an interview with SFX Magazine and dished some details on Toxic Avenger 5. While there is no word on when we can expect to see it, as they are still working on getting the money issues ironed out, the script is done and he seems rather excited about what they've cooked up. Here's what Kaufman had to say about it.

"It's definitely coming. The problem is that we need to get our new Troma movie, Shakespeare's Shitstorm, which is our version of The Tempest, out into the cinemas and on DVD so that we can get some money together for it. This is a very ambitious Toxic Avenger movie. The script is complete and it will focus on Toxie's two children who, 20 years after part four, have all grown up. And one has mutated into a very strange being [laughs]."

We first reported on Toxic Avenger 5 way back in 2011, when it looked like production had already begun. Some shooting has taken place, as there were set photos made available at that time. And it's unlikely that Troma will scrap whatever they already have in the bank. especially since the kids are wearing masks. Lemmy, from Motorhead, had a role in the movie, but he has since passed away. It isn't known if Troma shot what they needed for his cameo back when the production was first up and running. At the time, Lloyd Kaufman's own daughter Charlotte Kaufman and Music and Lyrics's Suzi Lorraine were set to be the main human stars. Who knows if this is still the case.

We last saw the B-movie hero in 2000's Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV. Luckily for those who are looking forward to another adventure with the character, the movie is going to be shockingly cheap, according to Lloyd Kaufman, with a budget of just $100,000. Despite that very low price-tag, he promises that this is going to be the best Toxic Avenger movie yet and that the script for the movie has obviously been finished for a very long time.

"Fans can expect more low-budget action with the usual Troma mix of girls, guts and gruesome gore. Toxie is going to go to Chernobyl in this one. It will cost just $100,000, but I think it is the best one yet. I have worked with [Guardians of the Galaxy director] James Gunn and the script we have for The Toxic Avenger 5 is the finest I have read. It shows Toxie fighting the bureaucrats and the obnoxious rich people who are harming the people of Tromaville."

That James Gunn name-drop is a bit surprising and a little bit confusing. Did Gunn actually work on the script for Toxic Avenger 5? That's very much a possibility. Since Lloyd Kaufman and James Gunn are longtime friends, with Gunn getting his start as a filmmaker with Troma, working on a number of their movies including Tromeo and Juliet and Terror Firmer, and ghostwriting Kaufman's book All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger. Gunn had a role in Toxic Avenger 4, and Lloyd Kaufman showed up for a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy. So we can definitely see how Gunn would have lent a helping hand. Kaufman did go on to add some clarity on another topic. Conrad Vernon is working on a remake of The Toxic Avenger, which we first reported in 2016. That project is also still happening and Kaufman seems rather optimistic about it.

"Conrad Vernon, who directed Shrek 2 and Sausage Party is attached. I have spoken to him and he knows all the Troma movies and is a big fan. I think he really understands The Toxic Avenger and I believe he will bring a cartoon sensibility to it. This is his first live-action movie and we hope it gets rolling soon."

As of right now, there is no release date for either Toxic Avenger 5 or The Toxic Avenger remake. But the good news for fans is that both projects are happening, so be prepared. This news comes to us courtesy of SFX Magazine.