The Toxic Avenger Mops up at Least $5 Million of Health Bills -- Cineverse Forgoes New Marketing Stunts in Favor of Partnership with National Non-profit Undue Medical Debt

Rhea-AI Summary

Cineverse (NASDAQ: CNVS) has announced a groundbreaking social impact initiative tied to the release of The Toxic Avenger movie on August 29, 2025. The company has partnered with Undue Medical Debt, pledging to erase a minimum of $5 million in medical debt for qualifying individuals, with an additional $1 million in debt relief for every million dollars earned at the domestic box office.

Through this partnership, Cineverse will help individuals who are either below four times the federal poverty level or have medical debt exceeding 5% of their annual income. The nonprofit's model allows each dollar donated to eliminate approximately $100 of medical debt. The company has redirected its remaining marketing budget from promotional stunts to this charitable initiative, aligning with the film's theme of medical debt's impact on its main character.

Positive

• None.

Negative

• Cancellation of planned marketing stunts could potentially impact movie awareness and box office performance
• Success of debt relief program beyond $5 million depends on box office performance

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An Additional $1 Million of Burdonsome Health Debt Gets Nuked for Every Million Dollars at the Domestic Box Office

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Move over, superheroes — there's a new kind of vigilante in town, and he's armed with a radioactive mop. When The Toxic Avenger storms theaters this weekend, he won't just be melting faces on screen — he'll be melting medical debt in real life.

In The Toxic Avenger, the new unrated horror/comedy written and directed by Macon Blair (I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore, writer for Marvel Comics/Dark Horse Comics), Toxie has his life upended by unexpected medical debt.

So after thrilling fans at Comic-Con, bringing the Moviefone number back from the dead, warning teens about the dangers of high-sugar soda, cleaning up Los Angeles on Earth Day and so on … The team behind The Toxic Avenger has announced that any further marketing stunts are canceled, and the rest of their budget will be spent on something more important than radioactive justice.

SEE THE SCRAPPED STUNTS HERE.

Here's the deal: at least $5 million in medical debt gets erased no matter what. And for every million bucks the movie makes at the box office, another million in debt will go up in toxic smoke.

This debt relief is possible thanks to a partnership between Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS), a next-generation entertainment studio, and Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping families least able to pay burdensome healthcare debt.

"We spent hours brainstorming how to close out the campaign and, while sending Toxie to the moon was appealing, no idea came close to combating unexpected medical debt for families," said Cineverse SVP of Marketing Lauren McCarthy. "The Toxic Avenger had his entire life upended by crushing medical costs so, as Toxie says, 'Sometimes you have to do something'."

Learn more about Undue Medical Debt with their explainer video and FAQ and then check out the official Toxic Avenger campaign page.

"As the medical debt crisis continues to grow we're grateful for this partnership with The Toxic Avenger film, which is not only funding debt relief but also shining a light on the human impact of a broken system," said Marisa Clemente, Vice President of Philanthropy at Undue Medical Debt. "We are always looking to team up with real-life superheroes who support our mission — including movie lovers, who now have an easy way to enjoy a reimagined classic while supporting financially and emotionally burdened families."

The nonprofit leverages donations to purchase qualifying medical debt (for individuals four times or below the federal poverty level or who have medical debt that is 5% or more of annual income) in bulk from providers like hospitals and also collection agencies for pennies on the dollar meaning one dollar donated, on average, erases $100 of un-payable medical debt. Recipients of debt relief then receive an Undue branded envelope in the mail out of the blue with the good news: some or all of their medical debt has been erased. Cineverse is relieving at least $5 million in medical debt across the country, where needed most.

THE TOXIC AVENGER
Premieres August 29, 2025
Run Time: 102 minutes | Rating: Not Rated

When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage), is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he's transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: Macon Blair

BASED ON: Lloyd Kaufman's "THE TOXIC AVENGER"

PRODUCER: Legendary Entertainment

DISTRIBUTOR: Cineverse

CAST INCLUDES: Peter Dinklage, Kevin Bacon (Footloose, Hollow Man), Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings franchise), Jacob Tremblay (Room, Wonder), and Taylour Paige (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Zola).

OFFICIAL RED BAND TRAILER

*TOXIE ON SOCIAL:
Instagram
X
Facebook
TikTok
BlueSky

About Undue Medical Debt

Undue Medical Debt is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 by former debt collectors. To date Undue has acquired — and abolished — over $22 billion of burdensome medical debt, helping over 14 million families and addressing a major social determinant of health. Undue purchases unpayable debts for a fraction of their face value in bundled portfolios and partners with individuals, faith-based organizations, local and state governments, foundations, corporations and many others to empower donors by converting every dollar contributed into $100 of medical debt relief on average.

Undue partners with hospitals, health systems and physician groups to acquire medical debt for abolishment. Undue rose to national prominence on an episode of HBO's "Last Week Tonight" with John Oliver in which Undue facilitated the abolishment of $15M in medical debt. To learn more, visit: https://unduemedicaldebt.org/

About Cineverse Motion Pictures Group

Cineverse super-serves passionate audiences by distributing content across all windows and platforms, from theatrical to digital to physical. Following the breakout box office success of Terrifier 3, upcoming releases include the franchise expansions of The Toxic Avenger (August 29, 2025) and Silent Night, Deadly Night (December 12, 2025). Coming in 2026 include its first kids and family theatrical release, Air Bud Returns, as well as Return to Silent Hill (January 23, 2026) and  Wolf Creek: Legacy, with more to be announced soon.

About Cineverse

Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS) is a next-generation entertainment studio that empowers creators and entertains fans with a wide breadth of content through the power of technology. It has developed a new blueprint for delivering entertainment experiences to passionate audiences and results for its partners with unprecedented efficiency, and distributes more than 71,000 premium films, series, and podcasts. Cineverse connects fans with bold, authentic, independent stories. Properties include the highest-grossing non-rated film in U.S. history; dozens of streaming fandom channels; a premier podcast network; top horror destination Bloody Disgusting; and more. Powering visionary storytelling with cutting-edge innovation, Cineverse's proprietary streaming tools and AI technology drive revenue and reach to redefine the next era of entertainment. For more information, visit home.cineverse.com.

Contacts:

Cineverse
For Media, The Lippin Group for Cineverse
cineverse@lippingroup.com

For Investors, Julie Milstead
investorrelations@cineverse.com

Undue Medical Debt
Daniel.Lempert@unduemedicaldebt.org

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SOURCE Cineverse Corp.

FAQ

How much medical debt will Cineverse (CNVS) eliminate through The Toxic Avenger initiative?

Cineverse will eliminate a minimum of $5 million in medical debt, with an additional $1 million in debt relief for every million dollars earned at the domestic box office.

Who qualifies for the medical debt relief program from The Toxic Avenger and Cineverse?

Individuals who are either below four times the federal poverty level or have medical debt exceeding 5% of their annual income qualify for the debt relief program.

When does The Toxic Avenger movie release and who stars in it?

The movie premieres on August 29, 2025, starring Peter Dinklage as Winston Gooze, alongside Kevin Bacon, Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay, and Taylour Paige.

How does the Cineverse and Undue Medical Debt partnership work?

For every dollar donated through the partnership, Undue Medical Debt can eliminate approximately $100 of medical debt by purchasing qualifying debt in bulk from providers and collection agencies.

What is the relationship between The Toxic Avenger movie plot and the medical debt initiative?

The movie's main character has his life upended by crushing medical costs, which inspired Cineverse to partner with Undue Medical Debt instead of spending on traditional marketing stunts.