In 2000, MTV aired the first episode of “Jackass.” After only a few seasons, the cast and crew went on to make several movies. Now after two years on television and three movies, the creators are coming out with a new edition to the series.
Later this month, “Bad Grandpa” will open up in theaters. However, this is not the typical “Jackass” film. Unlike the others, this film will have a narrative to go along with the pranks. “Jackass” and “Bad Grandpa” star, Johnny Knoxville, sat down for an interview to provide insight into what went into making his newest film.
Paramount Pictures has wanted Knoxville to do a film about his vulgar old man character, Irving Zisman, for a long time. So when Knoxville sat down to look into this movie, he said, “We would have to have a loose narrative.”
In this film, Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) takes his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) across the country to his father, performing pranks on real people along the way.
“I think you will be surprised at how much you are going to be invested in the relationship between me and my grandson,” Knoxville said. The addition of a child to the pranks adds higher risks to the entire situation. It makes for more interesting reactions from the real people they are pranking.
There were many things both Knoxville and Nicoll had to be careful of while filming this movie. For one, they had to be sure that they were not pranking a possible fan. Whenever they were pranking the employees of a business they had to “get intelligence from the owner,” Knoxville said. It was important for them to know who would recognize them and who would not.
They did not want to waste the footage on people who might have known it was only a prank. That is what gives this film more of an edge. All of the pranks were on real people who had real reactions. That is what sets this film apart from the rest in the series.
When Knoxville and other members of the crew wrote this movie it was never intended to be about pushing social boundaries, as one might expect. It was mainly just to “make each other laugh,” Knoxville said. That is part of the magic of a movie like this: it does not have a deeper meaning. It is simply made to make us laugh. This makes producing the film more enjoyable for everyone involved, which includes the cast and crew, as well as the audience.
There were many months spent preparing and filming this movie and it was well worth it. Knoxville spoke for everyone involved when he said, “We enjoy what we do.” It is that commitment to these films that makes them so enjoyable.
If you are in need of a good laugh or just need a break from the day, head to the theater and enjoy “Bad Grandpa” when it releases on Oct. 25.