Jackass Forever is about to come crashing into theaters. The fourth installment of the slapstick comedy film series reunites an older — yet evidently, not any wiser — Johnny Knoxville with Steve-O, Chris Pontius, and director Jeff Tremaine, along with some newcomers to the franchise.
Ahead of the film, a now 50-year-old Knoxville spoke with Variety about over two decades of hijinks that have cost the team an estimated $24 million in injuries over the years. But when asked which of his injuries was the most painful, it didn’t take Knoxville long to name a 2007 stunt that went awry when he tried to flip a motorcycle. And for good reason — the injury resulted in Knoxville having to use a catheter for three-and-a-half years.
“I broke my gym dog a number of years ago,” Knoxville cracks. “That’s been well documented. So much has been said about so little.”
“The doctor said a couple [of] centimeters down and it would’ve been out of commission,” he adds. With a pause, he continues: “But I’ve had two children since then, so it’s in great working order. That’s too much information.”
But just because the guys are getting older and more fragile, Knoxville seemed to indicate that Jackass Forever may not be the final installment, despite reports to the contrary. “Someone wrote it was the last one, but we never said it was the last one,” Knoxville told Variety.
“I mean, it could go on…we could do another one if we wanted,” Knoxville adds. “I don’t know if we want to, but we could let the old guys come in and have fun, but put it more on the young cast. I don’t know. After [the first two films], we’re like ‘Never.’ And then there we made a third one and now we make a fourth one. So, we’re never saying never.”
You have to admit that “Jackass 5: Never Say Never” has got kind of a ring to it. And what good are things like “penises” and “limbs” and “functional spinal cords” after a certain age, anyway?
Jackass Forever opens in theaters next month, Feb. 4.
