Box Office: ‘Jackass Forever’ Eclipsing ‘Moonfall’ With Projected $20 Million Opening

Jackass cast members are reluctant to do.The actor and stunt performer, co-creator of the Jackass franchise, recently told NME about where he and the rest of the crew draw the line – you can watch the video interview above.“I’m not super fearful of it but I don’t like cold weather or cold water,” Knoxville said.“I’ve done stuff in cold weather and cold water but it’s just a hassle.” When asked whether he would film in Scotland, Knoxville said he would love to and added: “I’d just wear a heavy jacket.”On his fellow cast member Steve-O, Knoxville continued: “The guys do have irrational fears. Steve-O who will let you put a hook in his mouth, swim up the ocean and then cast him out to sea to catch a shark with his body, you can do that to him, but we tried to get him to bungee jump and he was like, ‘Fuck you dude I’m not doing it’.“And I’ve seen him jump out of an aeroplane 80 feet in the air into the water, and he jumps off bridges and does flips off bridges.”Knoxville also revealed he’s planning on retiring from “big stunts” after suffering a brain haemorrhage while filming the latest film.“We backload my most dangerous stunts to the end of the film,” Knoxville said.

A staple of the comedy genre has forever been watching people get hurt, and nowhere is this more evident than in the continuing legacy of the “Jackass” franchise.What started as a MTV reality series in which various jackasses performed increasingly stupid stunts for the benefit of the cameras before them eventually evolved into a four-film movie franchise spanning two entire decades.“Jackass: The Movie” was released in theaters in 2002 and was intended to be the conclusion to “Jackass” – a feature film capper after a three-season run on TV. But after grossing nearly $80 million on a budget of just $5 million, “Jackass” the movie franchise was born.Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius and many, many more continued to make fools of themselves for the camera in three additional feature films released across the next 20 years.“Jackass: Number Two” arrived in 2006, while “Jackass: 3D” took advantage of Hollywood’s 3D craze in 2010.

With that result, this $120 million blockbuster adaptation of the Playstation video game series has passed $100 million in global theatrical grosses having added an estimated $55.4 million internationally this weekend to bring its global total to $139 million through Monday. While critics dismissed the film with a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score, a largely young and male audience has embraced it with an 89% audience score and a B+ on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jackass Forever.The actor and stunt performer told NME in an exclusive interview of his plans to step behind the camera for future films – a decision influenced by medical advice from his doctor. Knoxville is known for sustaining a considerable number of injuries during dangerous stunts over the years.“I knew going into this movie that this was going to be the last time I was going to do big stunts because I’ve got kids and I’ve had so many injuries,” Knoxville told NME.

“Drew Barrymore Show.”“I was really honored that Lorne Michaels offered me five minutes on the show each week to do what I do, videos and whatnot,” the Tennessee native told Barrymore, 48, of the potentially career-making opportunity. “And I had to choose because, one thing, I was going on to an established show where I would have little control.”The human crash test dummy explained that ultimately it came down to a choice between freedom and job security.“At the end of the day it’s like, ‘Am I going to go into a situation where I have no control or am I going to bet on myself and bet on my friends, and go that direction?’” he explained.Knoxville said he ultimately bet on the latter, which “could’ve been a disaster” but “luckily it worked out.” Although he quipped, “some would argue it was still a disaster.”“Jackass Forever” is currently playing in theaters nationwide, and is making a splash among audiences with critics scoring it 85% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Not even a global pandemic or a 12-year hiatus could stop the Jackass guys at the box office. “Jackass Forever,” the fourth movie in the anarchic series earned $23.5 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.It not only exceeded expectations but also easily bested its other main competitors, the big budget sci-fi spectacle “Moonfall” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which has 6 of its 8 weeks in theaters at No. 1.“ Jackass Forever ” brings back Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius and Wee Man for another round of pranks, stunts and injuries and has become the best-reviewed in the series.

Jackass is still a hit!

Jackass Forever stunts.In a letter written to prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo County, PETA claims that Jackass Forever likely broke state animal protection laws during a number of its stunts, according to Deadline.These include a scene in which honeybees sting Steve-O’s penis, killing many of them in the process, and another in which a scorpion is put in someone’s mouth.Other scenes include a turtle being provoked into biting an actor’s testicles and a snake biting someone’s nose.The film’s star, Johnny Knoxville, also revealed that he suffered brain damage following a stunt with a bull in the film. Knoxville, who makes his final Jackass appearance in the film, said a stunt where he’s knocked into the air by a bull left him with severe injuries, including a broken wrist, broken ribs and a concussion that resulted in a brain haemorrhage.While the rest of the world wants to save the bees, @steveo is performing deadly “stunts” in #JackassForever. Fall on your head too many times doing stupid stunts & forget your values, Steve-O? Putting a species so critical to our ecosystem at risk is desperate & mean.

Johnny Knoxville poses in front of his co-star Chris Pontius‘ “Pontiusaurus” to promote his new film Jackass Forever on Saturday (February 5) in London, England.

Paramount’s new Jackass Forever film has drawn condemnation from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which called for a criminal investigation into the production.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaWith much of the country bracing for or digging out from a nasty winter storm, two new releases are hoping to provide so much sizzle that moviegoers will brave the ice and snow to hit up their local multiplexes.In one corner: Lionsgate’s “Moonfall,” a disaster epic from Roland Emmerich, one of the most successful purveyors of cinematic destruction. In the other: Paramount’s “Jackass Forever,” the latest entry in the long-running series in which Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and Wee Man risk life, limb and nether regions in the service of comedy. “Jackass Forever” scored a stronger Thursday previews showing, netting $1.7 million.

In the same way that the good punk bands generally don’t do reunion tours, something felt off about the “Jackass” gang getting back together as many are hitting the big 5-0. When piss and vinegar are the two active ingredients in your formula to success, aging can be a real motherfucker; no one wants to watch the anarchic hellraisers they remember soften into slower, tamer versions of themselves.

With its daredevil stunts and hilarious pranks, Jackass was one of the most popular shows of the noughties making huge stars of its cast. Now the original line-up is back for one more round of dangerous action with the film Jackass Forever, set to hit cinemas next week. Its main star Johnny Knoxville has vowed that this really will be his last foray into the world of crazy stunts after he sustained yet another serious injury.

With all of the buzz surrounding the Sundance Film Festival last month and with the Berlin International Film Festival poised to begin later this month, it’s easy to miss some of the smaller films released on the regular schedule. While January failed to offer many must-see titles, February looks to offer more with films such as likely Oscar nominee “The Worst Person in the World” sharing release dates with the anticipated return of Johnny Knoxville and the gang in “Jackass Forever.” Later in the month will see another attempt to adapt a video game into a series building film, Channing Tatum’s directing debut, and the return of indie favorite Josephine Decker.

Johnny Knoxville guested on Tuesday’s edition of “The Late Late Show”, where he and host James Corden kicked off the show by running a “Jackass”-style gauntlet.