‘Jackass 4’ Stunt Has Cast and Crew Watch ‘Jackass 3’ In Crowded Theater
LOS ANGELES — The latest entry in the Jackass franchise, now hitting theaters in October, includes a stunt where everyone involved in the production fills a downtown theater to watch the preceding film in the series, a naked yet unafraid Johnny Knoxville told paparazzi while on a hike Friday.
“We needed something more understated, but still risky, so that we could rest up a bit,” said Knoxville, who conceived the stunt after he and fellow cast member Steve-O were hospitalized on just the second day of shooting. “Because we filmed it early on, the fallout ended up being depicted as one of those slow-burners that we had to keep tabs on, sort of like an STD.”
For his part, Steve-O said the idea was a unique way to add the element of surprise on set, similar to the miniature cannon and the non-consensual haircuts in prior films.
“There were a few false hopes, like when Dave [England] got the runs, but we chalked that up to Preston [Lacy] putting his toothbrush in…well, I shouldn’t spoil anything,” Steve-O explained on his podcast. "I can't reveal if we got a positive case out of it, but everyone lived, obviously, because word would've got out otherwise. But I will say this: we filmed it around Christmas, during the winter surge. Now that’s cinema. You fuckers better watch this thing in a theater."
Cinematographer Rick Kosick was less enthused by how the stunt played out.
“It’s one thing to have stilt boxing or the anaconda ball pit, but risking our lives over some nasty new disease was clearly over the line, even for Steve-O, no matter what he says,” Kosick said. “Personally, I think it was a convenient excuse for the suits over at Paramount to drum up sales for the third movie, as if a new one coming out isn’t enough. So, I know Knoxville said he’s done after this one, but if there’s another pandemic, can we really be sure they won’t try to milk this cash cow again with Jackass 5?”
At press time, Knoxville had been seen at a local clinic getting a third dose of the Moderna vaccine as an epilogue to his forthcoming film.
