In a Hollywood first, Paramount Pictures will premiere “Jackass 2.5” on the web — and in some cases, for free. At first, the movie will sell on iTunes and Amazon’s Unbox in the $10 to $15 range. A DVD will also go on sale. Then a few days later, it will stream for free (with ads) on Joost and other partner sites. And then a month later, the flick will be available on cable and satellite VOD. Also, partner MTV Networks will use the premiere to jump-start a community at JackassWorld.com, a new site currently under construction. As the name implies, Jackass 2.5 isn’t a full sequel of Jackass 2: it will be a mix of new material and outtakes from the previous movie. And it only cost $2 million to make.
I think this is long overdue, and many movies will soon follow non-traditional tracks — especially those that are popular among the younger set. (Full disclosure: I haven’t been to a theater in two years. And only two or three times in the last five years.)