Johnny Knoxville has declared that the fifth Jackass movie, Best and Last, will mark the end of the franchise. The trailer suggests a victory lap celebrating 25 years of broken bones, injured genitals, and general stupidity. New stunts and conversations about growing old gracelessly appear, but the most striking aspect is the heavy reliance on archive footage. The cast has not hidden in interviews that the film will feature many scenes from prior movies.
The Rise of the Compilation Film
This brand of compilation film is not a new Hollywood shortcut. Before VHS and Blockbuster, the only opportunities to see classic titles were theatrical rereleases or reruns on limited TV stations. That's Entertainment! (1974) featured MGM stars introducing iconic scenes, becoming United Artists' highest-grossing film that year. It spawned sequels, but by 1984's Terror in the Aisles, the formula felt outdated as video rentals boomed. A third That's Entertainment! in 1994 relied on scrapped musical numbers and outtakes, with critic Roger Ebert noting it didn't "scrape the bottom of the barrel."
Modern Compilations: Peppa Pig and Demon Slayer
Today, compilation films still sneak into multiplexes. Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience tapes together episodes to acclimate young children to longer runtimes. Anime compilation films, like Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training (2024), recap TV series plot points for casual fans. Despite lacking mainstream critical attention, it grossed $50 million worldwide, a fraction of Infinity Castle's $793 million but a reminder of easy profits from devoted fanbases.
Jackass: A Cynical Cash Grab?
Reviews from fan screenings on Letterboxd suggest Jackass: Best and Last relies more on old footage than new. Filming began only in February 2026, a month after the film was announced. Paramount announced in November 2025 it would grow its 2026 release slate to at least 15 movies, fast-tracking productions to meet that goal. CEO David Ellison's claim that the merger with Warner Bros could lead to an annual 30-film slate minimum suggests more quickly produced films may follow. The movie fell 82% on its second weekend at the US box office as word spread online that it was a cash grab, offering some protection against cheap franchise compilations. Jackass's higher name recognition across age groups may still ensure box office success initially, regardless of word-of-mouth.
Jackass crew members are not cynical; they have consistently put their lives on the line for amusement. But after the seemingly definitive farewell of Jackass Forever (2022), this second "final movie" feels quickly thrown together to meet studio targets. Jackass: Best and Last is released in cinemas in the UK and US on 26 June and in Australia on 2 July.
