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The creators of Jackass initially tried and failed to sell the show to HBO executives, who were “offended” and “disgusted” by what they witnessed.
HBO isn’t necessarily known for family-friendly content, but it seems the dangerous stunts and gross-out pranks of Jackass were too outrageous for the network.
In The Hollywood Reporter’s oral history of Jackass, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and director Jeff Tremaine recalled the time they tried and failed to sell the series to HBO, presenting the network with a sizzle reel showcasing their particular brand of entertainment. “Oh man, that went terrible,” said Knoxville, who co-created Jackass alongside Tremaine and Spike Jonze.
Tremaine added that the only member of the team with any clout at the time was Jonze, who had just directed the critically-acclaimed 1999 film Being John Malkovich. “Our plan was to just let Spike do the talking. He was the only legit one that everyone was interested in anyway,” he explained. “So we showed it with these two women, I don’t even remember their names. They were offended and just disgusted by what we had just shown them.”
Fortunately, the Jackass crew had “the exact opposite” experience when they later pitched the show to MTV, noted Tremaine. “We showed them the sizzle tape, and they were just dying laughing. And they wanted it right away.”
Although HBO scoffed at Jackass, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels showed interest in the concept prior to MTV buying the rights. Knoxville recently revealed he was offered a gig doing Jackass-like stunts and pranks on SNL, but turned down the opportunity because he couldn’t bring the other jackasses along. “They were going to give me, like, five minutes each week to do what I do, but that would just be me,” he said. “And I couldn’t do both. Our show was about to go. So I kind of bet on us as opposed to on myself.”
Most of the old gang are returning for the fourth installment in the franchise, Jackass Forever, which also introduces a new generation of jackasses. The recently released final trailer for Jackass Forever promises more of the extreme stunts and hilarious pranks that the franchise is known to deliver.
Of course, the jackasses won’t walk away unscathed. Knoxville recently revealed he suffered a brain hemorrhage and several other injuries while filming a dangerous stunt involving a bull. “Jackass Forever features by far my gnarliest bull hit,” he said, referencing a scene where he’s leveled by a charging bull while decked out in full matador gear. “I spent the rest of the weekend in the hospital with a broken wrist, broken rib, concussion and brain hemorrhage.”
Jackass Forever hits theaters on Feb. 4.
Source: THR
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