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'~Jackass Forever' laughs its way to No. 1 at box office

Posted February 06, 2022 6:00 am

By LINDSEY BAHR

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows, from left, Johnny Knoxville, Sean "Poopies" McInerny, Rachel Wolfson and Steve-O in a scene from "Jackass Forever." (Sean Cliver/Paramount Pictures via AP) The Associated Press

Not even a global pandemic or a 12-year hiatus could stop the Jackass guys at the box office. 'œJackass Forever,'ť the fourth movie in the anarchic series earned $23.5 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It not only exceeded expectations but also easily bested its other main competitors, the big budget sci-fi spectacle 'œMoonfall'ť and 'œSpider-Man: No Way Home,'ť which has 6 of its 8 weeks in theaters at No. 1.

'œ Jackass Forever 'ť brings back Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius and Wee Man for another round of pranks, stunts and injuries and has become the best-reviewed in the series. Playing on 3,604 screens in North America, 'œJackass Forever'ť is on the lower end of 'œJackass'ť openings, above only the first, which made $22.8 million in its opening weekend in 2002. The biggest opening of the series was the last one, 'œJackass 3D's'ť $50 million debut in 2010. But, costing only $10 million to produce, 'œJackass Forever'ť is already a clear success for Paramount. The studio was predicting a launch in the mid-teens.

Men accounted for 68% of the R-rated 'œJackass Forever'ť audience, which was 67% between the ages of 18 and 34.

'œBoth '~Scream' and '~Jackass Forever' had a very long lag time between installments and absence made the heart grow fonder for '~Jackass,''ť said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. 'œThey've always done quite well. They don't cost a lot to make and the communal nature of the theater elevates a comedy like '~Jackass.''ť

'œMoonfall,'ť meanwhile, which cost around $140 million to produce, is not doing well stateside. Lionsgate estimated the film's opening weekend grosses to be just over $10 million, which was in line with its projections. Directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson, 'œMoonfall" was not well-received by critics. The disaster pic about a possible collision between the moon and the Earth holds a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. Like 'œJackass," its audience was also mostly male (60%).

'œMoonfall'ť was made and financed independently through Emmerich's Centropolis Entertainment and foreign deals and, like many big budget disaster pics of this ilk, is supposed to earn most of its money internationally. Lionsgate only oversaw distribution in North America and its expected to be profitable for the studio.

'œSpider-Man: No Way Home'ť took in an additional $9.6 million in its eighth weekend in North American theaters, bringing its domestic total to $748.9 million. Globally, its earnings total $1.77 billion.

'œFilms that appeal to a younger audience have a much bigger potential for success (during the pandemic),'ť Dergarabedian said. 'œAnd the young male audience really seems like they want to go to the movie theater.'ť

In art house releases, Neon debuted 'œ The Worst Person in the World 'ť on four screens this weekend to $135,042. The Norwegian film about a young woman finding herself is shortlisted for an Oscar nomination (which will be announced on Tuesday), topped many critics' best of lists in 2021, and has gotten a fair share of celebrity endorsements (from Nancy Meyers to Paul Thomas Anderson). Its per-theater average ($33,760) is the highest of 2022. Neon will add theaters in the coming weeks.

Though still far from a normal, pre-pandemic weekend, it did break a bit of a lull that will likely continue until 'œThe Batman'ť opens on March 4.

'œIt's not the biggest weekend ever but considering how quiet the marketplace has been, it's very welcome,'ť said Dergarabedian.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. 'œJackass Forever,'ť $23.5 million.

2. 'œMoonfall,'ť $10 million.

3. 'œSpider-Man: No Way Home,'ť $9.6 million.

4. 'œScream,'ť $4.7 million.

5. 'œSing 2,'ť $4.2 million.

6. 'œThe King's Man,'ť $1.2 million.

7. 'œRedeeming Love,'ť $1 million.

8. 'œAmerican Underdog,'ť $800,000.

9. 'œThe 355,'ť $700,000.

10. 'œThe Wolf and the Lion,'ť $675,027.

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Johnny Knoxville in a scene from "Jackass Forever." (Sean Cliver/Paramount Pictures via AP) The Associated Press

Johnny Knoxville, a cast member and producer of "Jackass Forever," poses at the premiere of the film, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) The Associated Press

This image released by Lionsgate shows Halle Berry, left, and Patrick Wilson in a scene from "Moonfall." (Reiner Bajo/Lionsgate via AP) The Associated Press

This image released by Lionsgate shows John Bradley, left, and Halle Berry in a scene from "Moonfall." (Reiner Bajo/Lionsgate via AP) The Associated Press

This image released by Neon shows Renate Reinsve in a scene from "The Worst Person in the World." (Kasper Tuxen/Neon via AP) The Associated Press

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