#David Blaine plans new live stunt, his first in nearly a decade

By Todd Spangler, Variety

Magician David Blaine will attempt his first live stunt in nearly a decade in a YouTube-exclusive livestream later this month.

In the live special, Blaine will float through the air — a la Pixar’s “Up” — elevated by a bunch of helium-filled balloons. The multi-hour “David Blaine Ascension” global livestream event will take place on the performer’s YouTube channel on Monday, Aug. 31.

“This stunt has been 10 years in the making,” Blaine tweeted Wednesday. “Let’s turn worry into wonder and take magic to new heights.”

Blaine will attempt to float across the Hudson River, launching with a cluster of balloons from New Jersey across his native New York City skyline.

“Watch in disbelief as David Blaine magically ascends above Earth, in his biggest live performance yet,” YouTube said in announcing the special. In the U.S., Verizon is the exclusive sponsor of “David Blaine Ascension.”

In one of his most notorious stunts, in 1999 Blaine was buried in an underground plastic box underneath a three-ton water-filled tank for seven days in New York City. During the stunt, titled “Buried Alive,” Blaine didn’t eat any food and drank only 2-3 tablespoons of water a day. Blaine is repped by CAA.