The idea of a bunch of middle-aged guys putting themselves through the physical wringer to pull off incredibly dangerous and even more disgusting stunts in the name of our entertainment doesn’t sound like a surefire recipe for box office success, but the Jackass franchise has proven to be massively popular with both audiences and critics.
The three main installments and spinoff Bad Grandpa have earned close to half a billion dollars on minuscule budgets, while the first movie is the only one that didn’t manage to secure a Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The crew are trying to prove that age is just a number, but things weren’t looking good when Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O wound up in hospital on just the second day of filming on Jackass 4.
Things took an even more troubling turn recently as well when Bam Margera was fired from the production after breaching his contract due to his well-documented alcohol and substance abuse issues, leading to the original member of the gang posting a series of social media videos blasting the decision and calling for a boycott of Jackass 4.
The latest reports have now revealed that Paramount hired a wellness coach to monitor Margera’s behavior, only for him to vanish from the set and resurface in no condition to continue working. As a result, the studio felt as though they had no option other than to let him go.
However, after the skateboarder admitted in a series of new videos that he’s suffering from manic bipolar disorder, the team behind Jackass 4 are now looking to offer assistance in any way they can. Variety notes that there’s “currently an effort to get Margera help again,” as the gang comes to the aid of someone that’s been integral to the success of their brand for over 20 years.