Everyone has a certain bit of trepidation as they walk into their new place of employment. Will they like me? When’s lunch? Most thoughts don’t turn to, “Hopefully, I won’t die.” When you land your dream job to work with the gnarly crew of Jackass, it’s probably the very first thought. The new crew featured in the new Paramount Pictures trailer for Jackass Forever have this to say to that quandary, “Hey, at least I’ll die on camera.” With your fingers splayed across your eyes, jump into the final round of the Jackass saga. As always, no mercy!
The synopsis reads: “Celebrating the joy of being back together with your best friends and a perfectly executed shot to the dingdong, the original jackass crew return for another round of hilarious, wildly absurd, and often dangerous displays of comedy with a little help from some exciting new cast. Johnny and the team push the envelope even further on February 4 in Jackass Forever.”
The admittedly older and mangled Jackassers are embracing the new crew in the only way they know how, serenading the newcomers with lyrics declaring they’re too old for this, and they are passing the torch—no word on where that torch might end up. No one could be judged for the unease as they join their life-long heroes in the hilariously-masochistic yet joy-filled antics; we’ve all seen what the brains behind the merry and merciless franchise have come up with.
The first trailer released last summer began with a tone of a heartfelt reunion among friends, but when this crew gets together, it’s not a potluck. Eric André, Machine Gun Kelly and Tyler the Creator join regulars Spike Jonze and Tony Hawk for what they’re calling the last round for the original recipe crew.
One in the party of pranksters will be missing in the final installment, as Bam Margera continues with the lawsuit that followed after being removed from the production. Margera’s claims that he was wrongfully terminated was precipitated by his alleged ‘Wellness Agreement’ breach that included spontaneous drug tests and mandatory doctor’s evaluations. The court documents stated: “Defendants went so far as to employ a doctor who Facetimed with Margera every morning to ensure Margera took the cocktail of pills that Paramount’s medical team prescribed to him-pills that left him physically and mentally drained, depressed, and a shell of his former self. Defendants’ treatment of Margera exacerbated his mental health issues and led to suicidal thoughts. But still, Margera persevered only to have the rug pulled out from under him.”
Last month, the judge in the case declared Margera’s suit had merit. At the time, Margera said “I am p*ssed-off, angry, hurt, and shattered that Johnny (Knoxville), Jeff (Tremaine), Spike (Jonze) and the studios and producers ripped off my creativity, content, and stunts to make this movie, fired me without justification, and refuse to pay for my work; I created this franchise before any of these guys ever got involved. My lawsuit isn’t just about compensation. It’s about treating people with mental health and addiction issues in an honest manner and not taking advantage of their disabilities to rip them off.” Judge Robert S. Draper ruled in favor of Margera on most of his claims. The film’s release was delayed until certain court orders were in place.
Jackass Forever hits theaters on February 4.