Johnny Knoxville, what is your stance when it comes to snacking on horse rectum and cow eyeball juice? Looks like we’re about to find out: the former star of the Jackass franchise has been tapped to emcee Fear Factor: The New Chapter for Fox.
The network announced in May that is bringing back the show that first bowed in the aughts on NBC. Fox is promising to gather a group of strangers and put them under one roof in an “unforgiving, remote location.” The plan is to then throw “mind-blowing stunts and harrowing challenges” at them as they participate in a “twisted game of social strategy,” said Fox. Casting is now open for knuckleheads ages 18 and above from the U.S. and Canada.
Knoxville is filling the shoes once occupied by Joe Rogan, who hosted the original Fear Factor from 2001 to 2006. The show was revived by MTV in 2017 for two seasons and emceed by Ludacris.
“Johnny Knoxville is the champion of fearless entertainment,” said Fox President Michael Thorn in a statement. “His wild sense of humor, unmatched ability to push boundaries and take on the extreme makes him the perfect fit to lead this bold new reinvention of Fear Factor.”
“When you reimagine a series as legendary as Fear Factor, you need a host who is the epitome of daring charisma and spectacle, and that’s Johnny Knoxville personified,” added Sharon Levy, CEO, Endemol Shine North America, in a statement. “We’ll be pushing fear and social strategy to places that will redefine reality competition, which makes Johnny the perfect host for what will be a wild, unforgettable ride, and we’re beyond excited to see him unleash all the fear and the fun on our contestants and our viewers.
Knoxville made a cameo in the first season of The Studio on Apple. Other recent credits include appearing opposite Paul Walter Hauser and Walton Goggins in The Luckiest Man in America. He’s repped by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
Fear Factor: The Next Chapter is produced by Endemol Shine North America. Kevin Lee will serve as executive producer, along with Endemol Shine North America’s Sharon Levy, Michael Heyerman and Sean Loughlin. The reimagined series is based on the original format, Fear Factor, created by Endemol Shine Netherlands. Fear Factor has spawned 32 adaptations worldwide.
