The Jackass franchise is back and better than ever before. Jackass Forever is scheduled to be theatrically released by Paramount Pictures today on February 4. This time around, the film is getting a high-brow nod of approval.
The film stars Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Danger Ehren and Preston Lacy, joined by newcomers Rachel Wolfson, Sean “Poopies” McInerny, Zach Holmes, rapper Jasper Dolphin and British recruit Eric Manaka.
Directed by Jeff Tremaine, the original Jackass crew return for another round of the show’s trademark absurdity, often involving rising levels of danger—the key to the laughter. This time, Johnny and the team push the envelope even further. The movie is produced by Spike Jonze, along with Tremaine and Knoxville—generally the same teams we’re familiar with from the series and films.
The last time we had a Jackass movie was 2010’s Jackass 3D—over 10 years ago. But Wolfson said it’s well worth the wait.
“It’s worth the wait, because it’s a great movie,” Wolfson told High Times. “Being part of the new cast is so exciting, and I hope that people will see the camaraderie we all have.”
New York Times said the film was crafted with “sharp cinematography” to create “the most shocking theatrical experience since the mythic mid-1890s screening of the Lumière brothers’ ‘Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station’.” The “kind-hearted” sequel was deemed a worthy, if not better addition to the squad’s repertoire.
Weirdly, the original Jackass franchise was partly inspired by the antics of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Knoxville learned some of Thompson’s (often paranoid) self-defense tactics which grew to further stunts, and